Hey everyone!! I haven’t posted in awhile and with everything that has been going on, I thought it would be a good time to. I’m actually going to post two blogs today. This one is going to be about what I have been feeling and how God has changed me. The next one comes from this one but is more on what I am going to do with this new found meaning and some updates. So here we go…
Something I wrote in my journal the other day…” I’m trying to stay positive but it’s hard. I know God knew this was going to happen and he has it all under control but my world has been shaken.
This is my senior year and it’s pretty much ruined. The situation with Covid-19 is getting worse and worse, we may not even get to go back to school. That means no prom and no walking for graduation.
I’m finding I have less and less motivation to wake up every morning. I could have graduated early because I have all my credits, but I didn’t because I wanted to be with my friends and now I can’t even do that. I want to drop out of school but at the same time I don’t because there’s a chance we will go back. However, there’s no point for me to be doing hours of work that I don’t even need to do.
I miss seeing and spending time with people. My family is wonderful but I need my friends too. I need others. But the government is cracking down on the quarantine and it honestly sucks!
Also fundraising for the World Race is much harder now. All the plans I had fundraising wise for the next month required me to be there physically, but I can’t do that now. I’m also getting nervous that this whole thing won’t blow over before September my race will be canceled. The racers on the field right now have already been sent home 2 ½ months early due to the borders closing.
God why is this happening now? I’m locked in my room with no toilet paper, no people, no awesome senior year, no church, no point, no nothing!”
Everyone… This is literally how I was feeling just about 96 hours ago. I was becoming really depressed, I had no energy, no motivation, I was tired and I felt that there was just no point in doing anything anymore. These were some sucky times. But one day, the sun decided to come out and I got up, got dressed and got into God’s word.
Nothing specifically popped out to me from the pages, but 2 Tim 3:16 says “All scripture is God-breathed…” and God was speaking to my heart that day and he woke me up!
He showed me how selfish I had been being. While I was wallowing in self pity, I wasn’t even thinking about the fact that I wasn’t the only one going through these thoughts and feelings. So I began to reach out to others.
He showed me all the good things I had like my life, my health, food, water, a roof over my head, etc. He reminded me that others didn’t have these things so I began to pray for them.
He told me that he understood my frustration with my school work, but to remember Col 3:23 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not men.” And he explained it was good that I could be there with my friends who were also going through the same frustrations. School is my mission field even online.
He reminded me that even though being a part of a community is important, people are not where I get my joy. “My joy and my strength comes from the Lord.” (Neh 8:10.)
He asked me as far as the World Race and with everything “Don’t you believe that I am in control of this? That I saw and knew this was going to happen? Do you believe that I am working all things for good like I said I would even in this situation? (Rom 8:28) I’ve got this Alex and I’ve got you.”
Jesus changed my perspective.
The corona virus is no joke. It is taking lives and it is shutting down the world. But we can’t let it shut down us. The bible says “We have been made complete in Christ (col 2:10), our needs are met by God (Phil 4:19), nothing can separate us from the love of God Rom 8:35), and we have the power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead (Rom 8:11).” We are protected and have everything that we need. This is what the church, Christ’s body, has access to! In this time of crisis, we can so easily get depressed (like I did). We can be like the world; panicked or scared. Or instead we can stand up, be brave and trust God. Be prayer warriors, reach out to others, be a neighbor and check up on people. Get together in small groups, commune together, pray, be a light in the darkness and overall this will lead others to Jesus.
We are in a storm. So many people, including me I must say, want this storm to pass and be over with. We want life to go back to normal and for summer to begin. But I encourage you all to remember that without the rain nothing grows, and God is definitely moving and growing people closer to himself in this season. Be in the moment. Enjoy this time to be with your family, learn something new if you’re bored, go outside or just enjoy the rest.
Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to praise Jesus even in the rain.
Thanks for reading guys. Check out my next post for updates on what has changed as far as the world race and a new fundraiser God has put on my heart. 😀
Praying for you all,
Alex
