Early in January, my husband and I both contracted the COVIDE-19 virus. . We had been careful about wearing our masks in public, and felt we were taking necessary precautions.
We had a few close friends over for dinner and everyone was feeling fine. The factor that no one considered was that one person had started a new job the week before. When she became ill the following day and tested positive, everyone else was tested and were positive.
My point in sharing this is that we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. We go along thinking that everything is comfortable and we are doing what we should be doing, and then life throws us a curve ball that we never anticipated. I
t’s what happened a year ago when the virus invaded our lives and everything we counted on was turned upside down.
The key here is how we deal with these upsets in life. For some, isolation is the key, to totally disengage from day-to-day routines. Over time, this type of isolation leads to depression and a loss of hope. For some, they reach out to others, both for support and to be supported.
Being a pastor, I look to Scripture to guide me when faced with upsets in life. In this case, I have consistently come up with the “do not fear, do not be afraid” message that is found throughout the Bible.
Going back to my personal virus experience – I have recovered, experiencing many of the symptoms but nothing that required hospitalization.
My husband, Pastor Don, however, has been affected very dangerously. He has been on a ventilator and in a medical coma since January 15. This is a pretty severe upset in our lives.
I don’t know what level of awareness he has at this point. I am praying that he is surrounded by God’s angels to give him a sense of safety and comfort.
For me, I have been surrounded by God’s angels on earth. Angels who have taken on the form of many of you who are reading this. And this is where I draw my strength and confidence, from the multitude of text messages, emails, posts, cards in the mail, and prayer warriors who have reached out in Christian support.
I have my personal relationship with Jesus that comforts me in the dark of the night. And I have been abundantly blessed with the gift of so many people who have reached out with offers of help and with messages of hope.
For Pastor Don and myself, we can’t know for sure what our future days will look like. But one thing I have unshakeable confidence in is that whatever we will face, God will give us what we need. This is true for all of you readers – no matter what you face, God is with you and will be your strength to face whatever life throws at you.
The key is that you turn to Him first. Do not fear. And be an angel to someone who is struggling with the unknowns in this Valley of the Virus.
Rev, Mary Timmerman is pastor of the Cedar Valley and Nichols United Methodist Churches. She can be reached at mtimmermannclm@aol.com