We are all tired, weary and weak right now with the stress of COVID-19. Tired, weary and weak emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. We question why we are sitting where we are right now with the world soaked in a virus, shutdown and locked inside. As a gratitude coach people ask me why this is happening and how can God do this to us. My response as a woman that practices gratitude in everything and always stands in faith answers, “Because God feels it is necessary.” Let me explain this further.
Have you ever heard the saying, “God will put you flat on your back to get your attention and slow you down.”? I have referenced this saying many times in many situations.
When we begin to distance ourselves from God He will create a situation that forces us to draw back to Him. Many times this is through crisis, illness or economic defeat. We have all now.
Deuteronomy 4:36
“Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you; and on earth He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire.”
We have so many factors today in the world that is so against God’s Word that I personally feel that God is saying that we need to be shut down to slow down and come back to Him. We are living in a country that allows late term abortions, mistreatment of immigrants, racism, loss of faith just to name a few. This all goes against God’s Word and we all know it yet we allow it to happen. Have we forgotten we are all created in God’s image or “Imago Dei”. Imago Dei signifies the symbolical connection between God and humanity. As humans we are to act as God would.
More specifically as Christians we are to work for God here on earth as He would. We are to fight for the impoverished and starving, protect the rights of the unborn, uphold the dignity of the elderly, stop the oppression of immigrants, uphold religious liberties, strengthen marriage and promote racial unity. When we look at what we are supposed to be doing in God’s Name we see how broken this world is and how we are not advocating for all of His people. Do you blame God for shutting the world down to bring us back to Him? I don’t.
Philippians 2:4
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
When you look today at our isolation ironically called “social distancing” it put us in the situation to be farther apart. Will you use this period of time to grow closer to God and be more like God? Imago Dei? Will you reflect on where you are at in your life and see if it fits God’s plan? Are you one of the wanderers that is off course?
If you are looking at this time in worry and anxiety I would ask you to quiet yourself and look again. The news and social media want’s to inflame and add to the panic. I shut it off and look at what is truly happening around me. I live in a community of 100,000 people and I have been amazed what is happening in Imago Dei and our loving God’s image. We have medical people, first responders, delivery drivers, grocery stores all working tirelessly to keep things going. I applaud, praise and am extremely grateful for all these people in my town and around the world.
I want to show you other amazing things being done where I see God’s people coming back to Christianity and faith in our Father. In my community restaurants are prepackaging food bundles that can be purchased reasonably and given to immune compromised residents. Our city has created an Allen, TX Cares formed by our CERT team (Community Emergency Response Team) that handles emergency response in hurricanes, tornados and other natural disasters. They are checking on elderly, sick, handicapped, and many more people to make sure they have food, medicine and other basic needs during this time. Chick-fil-A offers free meals everyday at a local church where people can pick up meals in a drive through parking lot setting. They have donated thousands of free meals.
1 John 3:17-18
But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
Prayer drive thru is available. Online church is available. My church is https://www.chaseoaks.org/sermons-current-series/ if you want to watch some recorded sermons. Telemedicine is available. Pharmacies are delivering medicines. We have another restaurant that you can donate online and first responders or medical personal can drive up and get a free drink of choice which are all immune boosting fruit/veggie drinks. Another nonprofit I partner with is helping financially with bills and groceries. God is good in Allen, TX.
God has asked us to come together to love our neighbors, our brothers and sisters and to work for His good. God blesses all of us each day in so many ways we don’t stop to appreciate like hot water, shoes, food, sunshine, not to mention His Word in the Bible. We should be doing acts of kindness in His Name every day and shouldn’t have to be reminded. Look for the goodness in others during what is happening today. Relish and live in the love being shared by strangers to care for each other. We are good people and God creates all of us to care for one another.
My prayers and gratitude for each of you. LoLo
gratefulgratitude.net 