The Long Haul of the COVID Season

Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

I don’t know if you are like me, but I find It’s getting tough to have hope that this COVID season will end soon. I worry about the state of our business, the safety of our family, and what the future holds for them.

Amongst this worry, as weird as this sounds, there have been great gifts! I believe the best gift of all is that I have learned how to have hope in hopeless times. I have watched God time after time be faithful. Yes, I have seen God’s faithfulness throughout my life, but this season has been exceptional.

God has shown me that if my hope lies in the future and what it holds for me, I will always be disappointed. For our future plans are all set on personal expectations and our own perceptions. To release those plans, expectations, and perceptions is a journey, especially in the climate of today’s world. The problem with keeping our eyes on our plans is that it only causes frustration and confusion which leads to anxiety and stress.

So, the question is, “Where do we search and what do we set for our plans for our futures?” Every morning, of every day, we must release what we think the day should look like. We can do this only with God’s help. If you know me at all, you know I am an all-star planner.

God is not asking us to stop working, to stop ministering to the lost, to stop looking after our family and ourselves. You must have purposeful days, to live is to have a purpose. You still need to plan for your days, keeping His purpose in mind, write your plans with a pencil and then give God the eraser.

I have had to learn to follow a new system, or should I say, a new leader. I am working on, not relying on, my own leadership. I am working on relying on the greatest leader of all times, God.  I wake up laying my day before God asking Him to direct my day. Then I work through my plans, but I listen for His voice to keep me on track – to redirect me – or to just completely stop me. This along with God’s faithfulness brings a new hope every day.

I have decided to believe God’s truth and not let these COVID seasons steal my peace or my hope. This season will not ruin our plans (God’s and mine), because my hope is not in a worldly future it is in the future God has planned for me. I will wake up every day and with God by my side, I will agree, move, and change my plans according to His will. Also, I will go to bed at night being thankful for all that has transpired in the day.

I am living in great expectation of God’s goodness. Hard times are a gift too, find the blessing in them because God is good all the time!

Your best times are your current days – your past is only memories of better times.