THE CROSSROADS OF UNCERTAINTY - MARCH 16TH, 2020

At my age, I have been privy to the many national scares over seven decades.  Don’t do the math.  I remember the one way back in my thirties when my mother started storing up all those groceries in a secret pantry.  I rolled my eyes and tried not to laugh in her presence.

Another major one, my personal favorite, was in 1999 when at midnight, December 31, 1999, we were to have an internet crash. Everyone was storing up water bottles under their house, or in the attic.  It also made me smirk.  It just didn’t make sense to me that that could be possible in my life time.  We have had so many very serious similar events.  If you took some time you would find them on the internet and find that each one was worse than the other.  And, today am I laughing?  Nope, this one, the Coronavirus 19, is taking my breath away. 

Could this be because now as a widow and living alone for the time being, has made a huge difference?  Maybe it is my age?  I have sincerely grown anxious and could see how the world also is coming apart over this.  Another issue could be, because I have dealt with a cold, virus, fungal infection, and stomach flu since January.  But when Indiana canceled March Madness, the schools stopped for 30 days, And, CHURCH was canceled, I reached for the paper bag and put my head between my legs.  Life as we knew it or hoped for 2020 was stopping.  How can that happen to us?  I am supposed to be this faith based strong Christian woman and Counselor for petes sake.  God, what are you doing?  We need a sit down, right now!  I was just getting a new lease on life; some really neat changes were coming my way.  Why now?  My grandson is graduating from IU Bloomington, there are thousands of competitions canceled, Nascar too?  Look at all the people this affects.  Look at all the ones getting sick and dying.  Losing their jobs, their businesses.   Why?  What are we to do?  How will you, God, bring all this together for good?  Sure, I know Romans 8:28.  You promise to bring all things together for good. Please don’t tell me, “Well, Shirley we need to ask God what we are to learn from this?” I don’t want to learn anything here, I want things to go back to normal.  I wanted to read about Churubusco beating Blackhawk.  Michigan State getting all the way to the top again this year.  Purdue finally winning a State Championship. Girls gymnastics from our area winning top honors.   Church as usual.  What am I or you to learn from this.  Well, when I got done throwing my temper tantrum, guess what?

            My Holy Father showed me through a devotion last week what I want to share with you as well.  We are all in this uncertainty together, we are fragile, He knows we need each other.

            “. . .God isn’t just simply aware of the events in our lives.  He isn’t just watching and sitting back to see how we will react or respond.  He compassionately SEES into our Souls, and knows how this (little or big event, crisis or trauma) affects us!  He knows our age, our past, our wounds, our lack of resources, how scared we feel of the unknown – the uncertainty. 

One of my friends said, “. . .are we going to lose everything!”  Another one said, “my daughter is pregnant, what if she gets the flu?”  I have heard lots of reactions.  My own cousin has adult children living and working in the affected zones overseas,  and are worried sick.

Okay, so lets take a deep breath together and embrace together, that He is our great big Dad, and He knows how this affects us.  He sees us, He gets us, He knows and He wrote a chapter on how to HANG ON.  That whole thing about how He sees into my soul brought tears to my eyes and a peace.  Philippians 4: 4/20.

Please read those verses, slowly and carefully. 

            Here is our outline for each morning, no matter what:

            1.  Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS.

            2.  Be gentle to all, no matter how you are feeling

            3.  DON’T be anxious, or fretting, or stewing or fussing!

            4.  Give Him your requests (how you are affected) Little or Big.

            5.  Be Thankful that He sees it, has it, knows it.  Praise Him!

            6.  Accept His peace which you can’t understand, let it in – EMBRACE it!

            7.  Know you will be guarded in your heart and mind.  (What all is in

                        Your heart and mind? Your family, what’s happening etc.)

                        8.  SO THEN WHAT ARE WE TO DO NOW?

            Think only:  on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy!

            Will this be easy, is your circumstances different, worse somehow. . .sure!

            You will want to put all this into PRACTICE.  Pray, SING, Praise, Listen to Christian Praise music.  Pray some more, Trust, Hang on!  His promises are True, He is Truth.  He spreads His wing out over us.

            What else in Phil 4:  Be content in whatsoever state you are in.  That is tough too!

            I love that one about how WE CAN DO ALL THINGS IN HIM WHO STRENGTHENS US.

            Pray for more strength.  Practice being positive and strong.

            And, finally, He meets all our needs.

            I have to choose Psalm 62: 7 and 8. Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.  I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.

            And, my tip to you about breathing.  Sit in a comfortable chair, hopefully not where the family is to distract you.  Bathroom maybe.  Not so comfortable, but maybe a bubble bath.  Bedroom, outside behind garage.  Think about your favorite place to be.  A walk on the beach, walk in the woods, sleeping in with covers over your head.  Now, slowly take in a breath to the count of five.  Hold for five and let out slowly to five.  Do that three times slowly.  Pause, wait, and repeat as needed.  The serotonin levels if too high, or stimulated, will come down.  Use this tip often. 

            The other tip I have to use on myself, and for clients is making the choice to be positive, sing, pray and breath.  You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.  You can have that scared look, that anxious face, furrowed brow, and be bitey all day.

 Ask yourself this.  “How is it helping me to be negative, fearful, depressed, mad, and upset?”  If it isn’t then “What do I need to do to change that?”  You have the tools!  “When do you want to change that?”  NOW.  So be it!

           

It always helps to talk to someone, a friend, or whoever you believe can help you relieve some of the anxiety of these times.  We are all experiencing some grave questions and uncertainties.  My Pollyanna nature comes roaring out at times like this.  I don’t want any of us to be holding our breath, scared, having anxiety attacks, stuck in that terrible uncertainty of depression.  What will happen?  Will God see us through?  Does He care?  I know He does, I finally got that last week, as I said.  He sees us to our very soul.  He sees how it affects us.  Think hard on this, feel it, visualize Him doing that.  He loves us, He sings over us.  Zephaniah 3: 17.

 I want to visualize laying back in the warm clear water without a care in the world, like the otter, or like my emotional support dog Jax does when he sleeps all sprawled out on his back.  He is okay with the world.  He isn’t diving to the bottom, to bury himself in the muck.                                             

Don’t beat up on yourself if you are still having high anxiety, just reread all this information and tools.  Get in the Word, Pray lots, sing lots, if that still doesn’t help, I am an email away, or a phone call away.  Your first 20 minutes at $1.00 a minute is free.  Or you can just ask me to pray.  Let’s stick together in this.  Numbers count.