Friday, June 5, 2020

HOW DID GOING THROUGH COVID-19 CHANGE YOU - 6-5-20


HOW DID COVID-19 CHANGE YOU?

What new RESOLUTIONS have you made?

BY:  Shirley Faith Souder                        II Cor 5: 17                                May 29th 2020

            Another question comes to mind here as well.  “What did you learn from going through this very. NEW and scary time?”

            Every New Years Eve week, I get my journal out and look back at the prior year.  It is my true intention to evaluate how did that year go, what did I learn, and what resolutions have I made to change something that didn’t go so well.

            Next week, I would ask you to please send those thoughts and ideas to let all of us know what you learned, good or bad.  My bottom line for this entire two months is the major surprise “That I did Survive after all.”  One of my greatest back ground noises in that head of mine has always been, please don’t do anything that would put me in jail.  I would never survive.  You have no control, you can’t go anywhere, you have to do whatever you are allowed to do.  I would have to wear the same outfit, what would happen to me in there by other inmates?  I am such an outdoor woods-woman.  When I heard those words ventilator and people were dying and they were stacking them up in cold semi’s in New York; I couldn’t breathe.   I can’t just get in my car and go somewhere, get my hair done, meet with people, go on vacation.  Choose transportation, go shopping, see friends, and most of all go to Church.

            Living these many decades, I have seen all kinds of threats, I mentioned once before.  But, this one was taking all my freedoms away and would there be enough to eat?  You all have had your own pandemic with these past two months.  The mind is quite something that God invented.  I have heard from and observed people improvising and recreating things almost immediately.  Making due, finding new ways to communicate.  Learning that sitting down at a meal with your family has been brand new.  Church on Facebook, virtual dance lessons in the home, small group on skype or zoom.  It’s been quite amazing.

            My friend came and cut my hair, I cooked better and got to read books I haven’t had time to read.  I sorted closets and paperwork to find a better way to organize something.  I finally got a new things to do page printed out.  Wrote cards and emailed people.   I got closer to the Lord.  It drove me to find ways to worship and spend more time in prayer for people. And, I sorted out a couple situations that I needed to resolve.  It also prompted me to thank the Lord for this craziness.  Did I have a meltdown or two?  Oh sure!  Now, I thank Him for my new outlook. There is the scripture that came to mind.  II Cor. 5: 17. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come, the old has gone, the new is here!

            Jeremiah 17: 7. And 8 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose Confidence is in him.  They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

            I did fear when the heat came, and I thought there would be a drought.  I am alone, what will happen to me?   For me it does take having a deep-rooted relationship with Jesus Christ. And, even then I got side tracked.  If you need that kind of relationship where the King of Kings walks with you through these valleys then ask Him to come and show up.  He will.  I did that one Sunday.  Only I was a bit verbal about it.  He did.
I sought learning about this.  I pledged resolve for those things.  And, I accepted change.   What did you learn?  Share with us?

           

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