What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee. – Psalm 56:3 (KJV)
My mom taught me this verse at a very early age when I used to be afraid of the dark. Since then, there have been many times in my life when I’ve been afraid of something, Frequently, I flash back to my bedroom as a little girl and hear the reassuring voice of my mom reciting this scripture and teaching me to hide it in my heart.
These are times when many of us are afraid. We’re afraid of the future. We’re dragging along bad memories from the past. We’re unsure of the present. What should we do next? Should we go to the store or stay in? Should we go do something completely legitimate, like visiting parents, or not? Now that it’s been a while, I’m done with this quarantining.
Well, there’s good news. We have hope and we need to share it. We have reassurance and we need to share that. We know how the story ends and that we are victorious.
But in the meantime …
I often say, “What’s the worst that can happen?” I die and get to go to heaven to be with Jesus. Now I realize that’s a little extreme, but it is true. Right? It’s true!!
Most of us are also nurturers (I know – some of you just rolled your eyes). But whether you are a nurturer or not, folks need to be loved on, cared for, and served. And we can do that! It takes our minds off of our own fears, struggles, and stress.
I actually texted my college roommate this week, and I’m sure she almost dropped her phone when she saw my name pop up. We had the BEST conversation after that, even though it’s been a decade or more since we’ve touched base.
Stop watching the news. Stop watching TV. Go outside for a walk. Sit outside for more than a few minutes. It’s been amazing to me to watch chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, and doves. Seriously, I saw all four of those the other day and just took some time to watch their habits. I learned a lot: rabbits really like salad (flowers, grass, textures). Momma dove really doesn’t like it when you come close to her nest. Squirrels are really fast creatures, and chipmunks are just funny.
I’ve also been dreaming very vivid dreams. And I’m remembering in great detail what they were the next day. Two of them were of people who needed my help. In the third one, I was lost in a bare, mountainous desert without my iPhone, driver’s license, or money.
As I reflect on the past few weeks, I think God is trying to teach me some things:
· People have needs. I can meet some of them, but not all. I can pray for the needs that I cannot meet because God already knows what they are and has someone else to meet them.
· Slowing down and observing creation is not a bad thing. It reminds me of the intricacies of living creatures.
· Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
We are all in this together and we have hope. Let's circle our virtual arms around those who need our love, and trust that we will be better people on the other side.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38
– Rebecca Kelly
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