What If . . . ?

At the beginning of the Coronavirus panic, Steve Deace said that if this was a Biblical plague, a face mask wasn’t going to save us.  As I have watched the panic spread around me even to those who call themselves Christians, I have asked, “Who is our faith in?”  My daughter’s mission trip to Central America was postponed.  Our church canceled Sunday services.  People are in a panic to find toilet paper.  Schools were canceled.   Public events were canceled.  Life as we knew it came to a sudden stop.

  

Last night, I was on a mini-rant with my girls about how all of this is so dumb.  Why are we not using the brains that our Creator gave us?  What happened to critical thinking?  Cities are enacting curfews, so does that mean that the virus goes to bed at dark?  Costco has pallets to divide the entrance from the exit.  It has two lines divided by pallets to enter ~because of social distancing~ but both lines end up at the same place while they have an employee that wipes down your cart handle.  So, you wait in a single line to wait for an employee to wipe down your handle after you’ve touched it and the person who used it before you touched it?  Does this make any sense?!? 

And then God convicted me . . .   Who is my hope in?  Is my hope in our political system?  Or is my hope in God?   As I was getting ready for bed, it hit me.  

What if this is God’s blessing in disguise?

How many times have we lamented that life is just too busy?  We are constantly running our kids to this practice and that game.  To this school event and that meeting.  We are running ourselves ragged; and for what exactly?  When was the last time that you sat down with your kids for dinner at home?  Or made pancakes for breakfast?  Or played a game with your kids?
  

What if this is God’s blessing in disguise?

What would it look like if we pushed the reset button on all of our busyness?  What if we were to reprioritize?  What if we took care of our family and neighbors instead of looking to the government to solve our problems?

As Followers of Christ, we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  What does that look like?  What does the world think when we are panicked?  Who is our hope in?  

What if this is God’s blessing in disguise?

The family is the backbone of civil societies.  As followers of Christ, how are our families different than those without Christ?  Are we just as busy and chasing after the American dream of two cars, house in Germantown or Collierville, kids in competitive sports and trips to the beach during all of the kids’ school breaks?  Don’t get me wrong.  I am all for those things, but at the expense of whom?  Our children?  Our neighbors?  Our civil society?  How much is enough?

Many, if not all, of our churches have canceled services.  What if we took this opportunity to invite a friend over for dinner?  Or for a game night?  Here’s a novel thought.  What if we met in small groups to worship together on Sunday?  Home churches?  Where have I heard this before?!?  Have you checked with a neighbor who has health issues to see if you can get them something at the grocery store?  How about taking your neighbor a meal?  

What if this is God’s blessing in disguise?

When this craziness is over, we will have a lot of rebuilding to do.  So many have been hit financially.  How will we help our neighbors?  The Bible teaches us that we as individuals are to help our neighbors in need.  When it’s time to go back into the office because it’s “safe,” will we rethink our priorities?  When the kids go back to school, will we have learned anything as a family?

What if this is God’s blessing in disguise?