I spotted her fear a mere shopping carts distance away.
“Hello,” I said, smiling a welcoming smile. Our eyes lingering for moment — as if reading one another’s personal concerns. Until, shifting her anxious eyes downward and away, with the jerk of her shopping cart practically ran in the opposite direction.
I get it.
No offense.
Most of the world is feeling afraid during these uncertain times. With fear and uncertainty on the rise we need courage, now, more than ever before. But, unfortunately, many have no idea of their need for God. So, how can they possibly know where the storehouse for courage is?
When I have a physical need, I know I can order on Amazon Prime. With my online order placed, Voila! Within days, the solution to my physical need arrives.
But, it’s in testing times, like these, I realize my spiritual need for courage. We need courage and, unfortunately, courage can’t be ordered order online. It can’t be purchased in a store. It can’t be borrowed from a friend.
C.S. Lewis said it well:
“Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.”
The woman I encountered in the grocery store, obviously overcome by fear and anxiety from the unknowns of the coronavirus was clearly facing a real-life testing point.
Me, too!
So many of us are facing unknowns as we watch the world as we’ve known it being turned on its axis. Friends, it’s time to call on the power of Heaven for help.
God lovingly saw our needs. Nothing escapes His Holy eyes. His endless supply — a storehouse full of all that He is, has been made available through, Jesus, His Son on the Cross. Having been given access to His power fills us with courage to live as set apart lovers of souls, intent to: take time to look deeply into fearful eyes, express warm “hello’s,” and exchange gentle smiles — even if hidden behind masks. To put courage on display, offering: “You go first” and “Let me share all I have with you” virtues.
You see, friends, we are right in the middle of one of the most amazing testing points. We were made for this! God’s people are being given opportunity to show the world where courage comes from. Amidst hardships that include: thirty-day stay-at-home orders, no paychecks — until???, uncertainty about future employment, and concerns for our personal health and the health of those we love. When mounting anxiety, ask: Will I have a job when Covid_19 ends? How will I find provisions until then? Will the world ever recover from this? God supplies courage to His people.
I confess, my faith has been put to the test recently. But, after checking in on my elderly neighbor this week my heart was put at ease as we kept a healthy social distancing. He, standing on his front porch. Me — standing six feet away on his sidewalk. Our conversations included concerns about the virus and stay-at-home orders being issued by our state. He chuckled and said: “Nothing changes for me.”
As I made my way back down the street to my house, I couldn’t help thinking, “Wouldn’t it be grand if in the face of this pandemic we could express, courageously, ‘nothing changes for me …’”
God never changes, friend. It’s time to run to His storehouse. Gather up all the truth His unchanging, omnipotent power supplies. This truth helps us to live courageously with a “nothing changes for me” mentality. Our all-powerful God is the same — yesterday, today, and forever. He stands ready to make special Amazing Prime deliveries to our homes, upon demand. He will faithfully supply our every need: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually — always and forever!
Blog featured in:
コメント