I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not overly fond of change. Routine is comfortable. Unpredictability is unsettling. Once I cross the divide into new territory and set up shop, I adjust and establish new routines. But while I’m on that narrow bridge between the old and the new, I’m hanging on for dear life and being ultra-vigilant for loose boards, fraying rope, and anything else that could send me plummeting to the rocks below.
As you know, change is everywhere these days. Everything is in transition. Work. Family. School. Church. The way we eat. The way we shop. Even the way we communicate with each other. I’m having to get very creative in remaking familiar routines so they fit into this new existence.
For example, after our university gym closed due to government restrictions, I moved my noon exercise outside to a trail that winds around the perimeter of ACU. So I still take a lunch break to exercise, only instead of walking on a treadmill and watching a show on my phone, I’m now walking outside and enjoying nature. (Thankful to God that spring has arrived and the weather is temperate.)
Change, while uncomfortable and sometimes terrifying, can also be beautiful. My favorite thing about walking the Lunsford Trail is reading the scripture embedded in the path. Some verses are etched in stones on the path itself. Others are found in limestone pillars positioned to the right or the left. This photo shows one of my favorite collections. One scripture reminds me to commit my ways to the Lord. Another in the circle at my feet reminds me that it is the Lord who enables me to accomplish the tasks set before me, not my own strength. But it is the pillar to the left that holds the verse that has become my theme for getting through Covid-19.
Three such simple lines, yet they are the exact prescription I need to get through this crazy, uncertain time.
Be joyful in hope. Don’t allow discouragement and fear steal your joy. Hold onto hope and the promise that our God will never leave us nor forsake us. And share that joy with others. People are afraid and grouchy at being cooped up and stressed about losing their jobs. Spread joy and hope to the people around you, inoculating them against the true disease Satan is trying to spread.
Patient in affliction. Stress and patience don’t coexist easily. Tempers flare quickly in times of affliction. Things that used to be little and easy to ignore grow into giant eyesores. Dig deep for patience. And if you have to lock yourself away with chocolate and a good book for an hour in order to find it, well, that’s just what must be done.
Faithful in prayer. This, of course, is the key to it all. The more connected we are to the Father, the easier it is to endure our trials with joy. And the good news is . . . nothing has changed in the way we communicate with our Lord. He is still as available to us today as He was yesterday. And He’ll be there for us tomorrow as well. Thank heaven that in a word so full of uncertainty, we serve a God who does not change.
What verses have you found most helpful in dealing with the pandemic?
Are there certain pieces of your previous routine that you’ve been able to salvage and continue on in spite of everything that has changed?
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Lovely, Karen! Merci! Just wrote the verse on a file card to take with me on my daily walks. My verse for 2020, before COVID-19 but all the more important now, is Psalm 143: 8 “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go for to you I lift up my soul.”
What a beautiful verse, Elizabeth! How important to put our trust in Him anew each morning, eagerly watching for Him to show us the way to go. Love that!
Thanks for your words, Karen. My verse: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12
Ah, yes. Wisdom. Such a precious commodity in times of panic and uncertainty. Great one, Lynn!
Thanks for the reminders, Karen. I’ve always been partial to the armor of God in Ephesians 6, but this week I read 2 Corinthians 5:17 The old life is gone; a new life has begun. and though this is talking about our new life in Christ, I think it applies to the current times as well. We can adjust to any change if Christ is at the center of our existence, because He never changes.
Amen, Rebecca. Christ is our Rock. The winds of change may blow and storms may batter, but if we hold tight to our foundation, we will never be shaken.
Amen!
🙂
I like to remember this:
“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17
Great post today!Thank you so much for sharing.
Great one, Melissa! Nothing is beyond our Lord. He will hold us together and see us through.
It looks like your exercise walk has brought you a whole new perspective. Thanks so much for sharing. One of my verses I’m clinging to right now is Isaiah 41:10:
Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
That’s a great one. How badly we need the support of the righteous right hand. Thanks, Amy!
Thank you for your most uplifting post today. I can still read like before Covid 19. Maybe not as much but enjoying what I do read. Also I enjoy preparing meals for my husband and me.
Reading, thankfully, has been a constant for me, too, Shirley. I know some have struggled with libraries closing their doors, but for those of us with large TBR piles, we might actually see some progress made. 🙂
Thanks for sharing Romans 12:12! That particular scripture applies beautifully to these days.
I’ve tried to keep as many pieces of my previous routine in place as possible. I’m still spending time reading the Bible and praying, still exercising (via yoga videos I stream at home or walks outside), still keeping up with my writing. Each day I seek — and never quite find — the ideal balance between structure and flexibility. So far, I’ve discovered that some structure is good, but LOTS of flexibility is better. 😉
Lots of flexibility, indeed, Becky! That’s the key to survival. At least where sanity is concerned. I had one week where my writing slipped when work peaked at the same time as the virus, but so far I’m finding ways to stay on track the rest of the time. Flexibility definitely plays a big role in that.
Thanks for the encouraging words!
You are so welcome, Jen. I needed it, too. 🙂
That was so beautifully written! Thank you. I read the Psalms during the month of March and was encouraged by the many verses of praise.
Praise is an excellent way to get our minds off our worries, Leanne. Calling to mind how great and powerful our God is calms the inner storm as nothing else can. 🙂