Choices we make in the middle of a tragedy (aka Pandemic)

I don't know if you are familiar with the story of Job, in the Old Testament. It is a fascinating story. If you haven't read it, it will be worth your while to look it up. I will attempt to give you a short summary of  what happened.

The book of Job starts with introducing him. He is a man with a life well lived, and a man God marked out for his upright character. (Job1:1-5). He was not an ordinary man. He was successful, a man of influence in his community and very prosperous. He had many servants, cattle, camels, donkeys, sheep and whatever else rich people had back in those times (early 5th century BC...or thereabouts, or some say he lived at the same time of the Exodus in Egypt, or even in Abraham's time...we don't know). He loved his family. He was blessed with seven sons and three daughters. Job did not take God for granted, since he was very wealthy. On the contrary, he was a godly man and he was special to God. He was maybe in his 50's or 60's (according to scholars)...

Then suddenly, all this wonderful life changed overnight. Suddenly and unexpected,

• he got a report that all of his cattle had been stolen
• all of his servants were killed
• fire destroyed his sheep and his shepherds
• the Chaldeans stole his camels and killed his herdsmen
• a tornado like wind killed all his children

WOW! His prosperity, security, lifestyle, social standing and his family had vanished in a moment's time. Within minutes he had been changed from the greatest to the least. (What would we do in such a tragedy?)

As if this wasn't enough, the next thing that happened was an attack on his health and well being. The Bible says that his condition was extremely painful and socially isolating. He had boils all over his body and his skin was somehow destroyed. This doesn't look good! His family and friends were convinced he had done something wrong. They thought he had committed a very serious sin towards God and he was being punished. They accused him relentlessly.They were wrong. He had done nothing wrong. His wife asked him to curse God!...but he would not have any of it..Back in those days, there were lepers and they were isolated from society and shunned by their families. The belief was that they were under some kind of curse for sins committed by them or their families.

Anyway, doesn't his suffering resemble a little bit of what we are going through with the Pandemic? Doesn't this sound a little bit familiar? What Covid-19 is doing to people around the world is devastating and many people may be relating to poor Job!

I don't know about you, but I don't know that I could have endured everything he went through; Faith or no Faith. Yet, although Job's view of God had been threatened, it was not lost! The book of Job helps us maybe answer the question: How do I go on?  He was sick and near death, he says his hopes and dreams have disappeared and his friends still accuse him of wickedness. He says, "I scream for help and no one hears me. Those I love have turned against me. Everyone mocks me". He was a desperate man. Everyone had failed him. However, he also says: (Job 18:23...) "But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives" (referring to God).

Job's response challenges us to fix our eyes on God, when we face unexplained and unexpected tragedies. It also raises the question: Do I still follow God when I am in the middle of suffering? Do I still love Him if He is not protecting me from pain and disease? Job did. 

His words towards God are incredible. "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. May the Lord be praised". WOW! Through tears, Job maintained his focus on God, and he chose to praise Him in the middle of his pain, and viewed everything as part of a divine plan.

Like we said earlier, Job had done nothing wrong, and yet he was faced with all kinds of tragic events. Life is full of mysteries, and Job's suffering and our sufferings is a mystery as well. Maybe our question should not only be: HOW can I get out of this? but also WHAT can I get out of this? In other words, is there a lesson I need to learn?

Finally, Job's nightmare comes to an end. In the powerful conclusion, we see that God returned everything to Job and double what he had before. The Lord blessed Job at the end of his life more than at the beginning. He restored his health and wealth and gave him seven more sons and three daughters. Job lived 140 years after that, living to see his grandchildren and great-grandchildren too.

God hears our every prayer, and we cannot go wrong when we rely on Him. I don't mean that we just sit on the couch and do nothing, and let God do it for us. No, we actively have to seek God's protection against worry, fear and anxiety. We can ask for peace during anxious times, and we are in anxious times right now. Suffering may be undeserved, but there is always a purpose to it. When we come out of this Covid-19 Pandemic, it may take a while to get back to our 'previous normal', but we will come out of it stronger and wiser and with better and healthier daily habits.

A friend send me this little joke:

"I never thought the comment I wouldn't touch him/her with a 6 foot pole
 would become a national policy, but here we are". 

Funny, but so true.
Hang in there !

How do you navigate/respond to life's storms?

How do you react to a thunderstorm? Do you tremble in fear under the covers? Do you go hide?

Do you recall the words in Psalm 29: verse 3..."The voice of the Lord echoes from the clouds. The God of glory thunders through the skies.....or verse 7... "The voice of the Lord thunders through the lightning". If you are like me, you may be praying to God for his protection and for the storm to pass quickly, and to give us strength to endure it. Just as our reactions to bad weather vary according to our perspective and personal experiences, so do our reactions to trials and tragedies that come into our life.

At our lake home in Arkansas, we have experienced MANY thunderstorms. They seem to come out of nowhere. We constantly check the weather radar, because the weather can be sunny and beautiful and thirty minutes later it can change without any warning. Just like the "Pandemic" which came so unexpectedly.

I have to confess that thunderstorms scare me, especially in the middle of the night. They can be VERY loud. First you hear the rumble, then you see the lightning across the sky, and then the rain starts pouring down and the wind starts to blow violently. You realize you are at God's mercy. It is quite an amazing display, but at the same time very frightening! Why frightening? because there is NOTHING you can do to stop it. All you can do is pray and wait patiently for it to stop. Praying may not make it go away, but it seems to give you some sort of comfort and peace, while you are in the midst of it. Remember that you are not alone.

Isaiah 41:10

"Fear not, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed. I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my righteous, right hand".

We are now in the middle of the "Pandemic". We have been staying home, isolated, bored, fearful of our future, afraid to venture out, in case we run into someone who will infect us. We are talking to friends, family and business associates via text, phone and zoom! We are trying to keep ourselves occupied and entertained, so we don't go crazy...It seems like every 100 years we have some kind of a pandemic. But the world goes on.  All we can do right now is to keep calm, follow the guidelines given to us from our local, state and federal leadership, and hope and pray it will soon end. AND it will end soon!.If each one of us do our part, it will all work out. Panicking, worrying, stressing out and hoarding toilet paper and food, will NOT change anything. By the way, when you buy all the extra products, you are being selfish. Every time I have gone to the market, the paper goods shelves are ALWAYS empty. I refuse to get up at 4AM just to get there when the stores open so I can get toilet paper and disinfecting wipes..Good grief!....some of our friends have gone at the time designated for "seniors" and the lines are around the buildings already and there is NO Parking! Please, be considerate to other people's needs ...not just your own.

Anyway, last year we had one of the worst storms in over 10 years. We were out of power for four days. Huge trees came down, blocking roads and destroying homes. We were forced to stay indoors and wait patiently for the clean up crews to remove the fallen trees and for the Power crews to restore our electricity.
Eventually everything returned to normal, and believe it or not all that anxiety we experienced is already forgotten. It will be the same with what we are going through now. I know this is something we have never experienced in OUR lifetime, and it is very serious. It is not just the physical impact of the virus, but also the psychological and financial consequences we will have with us for a time. But there is a light at the end of the dark tunnel, and we will exit victoriously. Hopefully, we have learned some things that will make us stronger, wiser and more spiritual as well.

When tragedies strike, such as rain storms, diseases and personal losses, some people cry out to God, while others get angry and frustrated with Him. Yet others totally ignore him. Maybe God sometimes brings storms across our paths to teach us to rely on Him and to thank him for His mercies.

This past weekend many celebrated Easter around the world. It was an interesting way of worship. Some of us watched the services on-line. What a blessing that we can do that, thanks to our technologies. I "invited" friends to join in, and they enjoyed it very much. Some had not been to Church for a long time. Who would have thought! There were also other Easter services that took place in church parking lots. WOW. Everyone is getting creative instead of feeling defeated.

Don't let unexpected events throw you off course. Rather respond calmly and confidently. (I know this may be difficult to do while you are unemployed, worried about paying bills or home schooling your young children). Remember that God is with us.

Psalm 112:7-9 "He does not fear bad news, nor live in dread of what may happen.For he knows God will take care of him. That is why he is not afraid, but can face his foes. He gives generously to those in need".  

Be assured that He will help us cope with whatever is before us. We are put on this earth to help each other. People have helped us along the way, now is our turn to help others. Everyone has been given a gift...lets make use of it whenever we can.

And Please......"Do not call the police on suspicious people in your neighborhood. 
Those are your neighbors without makeup and hair extensions!"
                  hahaha...a little humor never hurt anyone
                  Have a blessed day and enjoy another week in isolation.......................