Posted By: Rob
As Amy and I watched with joy our 2 granddaughters on Marco Polo, cooing and smiling (our 2 month old Natalie) and speaking our names as she saw our pictures at the bottom of the screen (23 month old Olivia), it hit me that I haven’t been able to physically hold them for 17 days now. Our families are basically self-isolating from the presence of each other along with foregoing the requisite Baba and Gigi (our grandparent names) hugs and kisses and tickles during this Covid-19 pandemic. It’s really hard. On me. For me.
But I was reminded of the importance of all we are trying to do from a blog that my wife passed on to me from Ann Voskamp: “All social-distancing right now is actually social-togetherness: keeping our distance from each other is the gift we give each other to get through this together. We all get to change how we live, so others get a chance to live. Acting like you have the virus is how to act like Jesus toward others right now.”
I keep telling myself what we are all hopefully saying to ourselves: Just one day at a time. Take it and live just one day at a time. And it’s in the spirit of love, not a spirit of fear that we are doing this. It’s in the spirit of powerto overcome this challenge, not a spirit of fear that we are doing this. And it’s in the spirit of self-controland sound-mind to be smart about our decisions, not a spirit of fear that we are doing this. (2 Timothy 1:7)
I am wearing a T-shirt that I just got from my Chiropractor that says, “Faith over Fear.” What a powerful commitment that statement brings to our situation. And lest I begin to fall into self-pity over these days of careful containment and feeling a bit stir-crazy, I think of the story of Anne Frank and how she and 7 other people hid in a 450 sq. foot attic for 761 days, hiding from the Nazi regime, quietly trying to remain undiscovered to stay alive. With that inspiration, I think we can all do our parts to keep everyone in our family and community and country and world safe by our actions, first and foremost as believers and then as part of the human race.
I leave you with some more thoughts that encouraged me from Ann:
“Though we are in uncharted waters — the One we follow walks on water. Though these days are unparalleled in recent history — the One we follow stands at the Crossroads of all of history, so we are unshakeable. Though we are sheltering in place — the One we follow is our safe shelter and always dwelling place. All is well. Though we may be here at home, we are praying about the world, to the One who holds the whole world, and this is our act of loving the whole world.”
Because He Lives, Pastor Rob
