Today I turned the page for a new week in my calendar, and this was the message for the coming month of April:
Well. Hmm. What timing.
This was actually my Word of the Year in 2018. I guess it’s time to reflect on it again.
After yesterday’s announcement that the COVID_19 stay-at-home order has been extended to April 30th, it can certainly be difficult to be fearless and brave.
That’s me.
My husband and I could see the writing on the wall here in Central Texas, so at the beginning of the month, I planned to stock up on some things, so we had groceries to last three to four weeks. Now my family has been doing #staysafestayhome since March 13th.
But even with planning ahead and being prepared, fear can still creep its way into our thoughts. Fear makes us think we haven’t done enough. Or purchased enough. Fear creates resentment when our mobility and freedom have been controlled by someone other than ourselves. Fear causes worry when we no longer have a job because our employer had to close.
Fear. Resentment. Worry.
There isn’t much peace when you don’t know what the next best thing to do is.
We can’t have peace or combat fear by trying to control our situation. We can find more ways to be productive, try to maintain routines, worry about money, or fret over doing school at home. But in actuality, we are only trying to do God’s job for Him.
What?
One thing about our Heavenly Father is that He is a gentleman. He won’t force His way into our problems. Instead, He waits for us to give Him complete control over our circumstances! And then God, “who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, [can] accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20 NLT, emphasis mine)
If we allow Him, God will faithfully help us to prioritize what we need to do and lose what we don’t so we can have what is best for us in uncertain times.
In our weekly women’s bible study this morning, now being held online, I was a little jarred when our women’s pastor stated: “We’ve been given this gift of time.”
Wow! How true. Looking at it differently, instead of “quarantine,” we can look at being home as a “gift!” Instead of allowing fear to drive our time management, we can give that control to our Heavenly Father and use this gift of time to reset. Be quiet. Be still. (Psalm 46:10)
A new season is coming for all of us. Let’s be ready by allowing God to teach us what we need to know and how to prepare for that future. It will be much more productive than being fixated on the present.
Today in my email was a newsletter from Whitney, from The Unread Shelf. (You can find her on Instagram @theunreadshelf.) She shared an old English poem that is fitting for today:
“Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from Heaven,
Time, opportunity, and guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,
Trust them with Jesus, do the next thing.
Do it immediately, do it with prayer;
Do it reliantly, casing all care;
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe ‘neath His wing,
Leave all results, do the next thing.
-Anonymous, old English Poem
Let us leave our cares to Him. Be still. Listen. God will show us what the next best thing to do is.