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Rita's
Tuesday Blog:
A Way In The Wilderness |
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God will make a way
even where there seems to be no way.
"I will even make a way in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert."
Isaiah 43:19
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April 02, 2020: What
Time I Am Afraid… HashTags:
#fear #Covid19 #Coronavirus #RitaMoritz
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Psalm 56:3
“What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.”
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You wouldn’t be human if you
weren’t feeling some level of fear about the Coronavirus.
Am I afraid? Well, I buried my oldest son three years
ago, and this Covid-19 is taking the life of people of
all ages. You do the math.
Of course, I’m frightened. However, we can’t help
ourselves or anyone else if we give in to panic. Through
the psalmist in
Psalm 56:3, God tells
us what to do when we’re afraid. We are to “trust in
[Him].”
Trusting God doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use common sense.
Following are some of the things Harry and I are doing.
● We are getting our information from the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC). If something we read doesn’t
line up with what the CDC is recommending, we ignore it.
I made the mistake early on of posting something that
wasn’t based on what the CDC was saying. I was wrong,
and it wasn’t helpful.
● We aren’t overdosing on bad news from TV. The
media has a saying, “If it bleeds, it sells.” So, their
focus is on the worst possible scenario. After we’ve
checked in to see what has changed, we take a break from
the media and focus on more positive news.
● We are practicing social distancing. That means
staying home. If our best friend, sister, grandchildren,
etc. don’t live in our house, they aren’t visiting us,
and we aren’t visiting them.
● We are using grocery pickup or delivery. Harry
and I are at high risk just because of our age. So, here
at our house, we’re in lockdown mode. Nobody in or out.
We are using Walmart delivery for groceries. And the
things I need for gardening will be delivered by Home
Depot. We’ve changed our prescriptions to mail delivery.
You may not need that level of “lockdown,” but keep in
mind you might not show symptoms and still be able to
infect someone else. Common sense says, “Be safe.”
● We are staying connected. Technology is an
amazing thing. Even with almost everything closed down,
we can still shop online, connect on Facebook or by
email, and call a friend or family member.
Our writing group will be having a “Zoom” meeting
tonight, and we’ve emailed to everyone copies of the
poems we plan to read. Our pastor videotaped a
“Wednesday Wisdom” devotion that Harry and I watched
together. And our church and other churches are also
taping Sunday worship services so people can connect
from home.
● We are checking in and checking on people.
People who care about us need to know we’re ok. We
started with family and friends. But that widow from our
Sunday School class or the single Mom who has lost her
job may need help and not know how to connect to get it.
We are calling people to see if we can help, and we’ve
set up a schedule to keep in touch.
● We are finding new ways to be of service.
Ministry is important to me, but it’s a challenge with
“social distancing.” Some things I’ve done include
making a cake for a friend, baking bread for another,
delivering a pan of lasagna ready to cook and sharing
some plants in pots. I’ve been able to do that without
getting within six feet of anyone.
● We are recognizing that it will get worse before it
gets better. All the experts are in agreement that
we are only in the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in
the United States. When those numbers spike (and they
will), people are likely to do one of two things.
Some folks will panic, thinking things like “social
distancing” aren’t working. Others will be so tired of
being home they’ll decide it can’t hurt to just visit
for a little while with a friend. We don’t plan on doing
either.
● We are reminding ourselves that this will
eventually end. My four favorite four words in the
Bible are, “It came to pass.” Most things don’t come to
stay…they come to pass. And this will too.
But aren’t you worried you and people you love are going
to get sick? Of course, I’m worried. And likely, it’s
going to happen. Some people I know may even die. I
might be one of them.
However, that isn’t going to cause me to panic. The God
I trusted to save my soul is the same God who’s in
charge right now. I don’t understand this pandemic any
more than I understand how God could save someone like
me. But I trust the One who did.
I don’t know what tomorrow holds. Neither do you. But
I’m certain it is going to get worse before it gets
better. Expect it. But it will also get better. Expect
that too.
I hope I’m able to avoid becoming sick with the
Coronavirus. I for sure hope I don’t die from it if I do
get sick. And I don’t have the courage or strength to
face those things today if it is the people I love or
myself.
But I don’t need that strength today. And God will give
both you and me what we need when we need it.
I can’t close this blog post without acknowledging both
you and I might be facing serious sickness and even
death from this terrible disease. Many people are going
to die. And I’m appealing to you to make sure you know
where you will spend eternity if you do.
If you want to talk about this blog post, send me your
phone number in a private FB message to:
Rita on
Facebook
or in an email to:
rita@ritamoritz.com,
and I’ll call you. In the meantime, be safe.
Challenge for Today: What might happen if we,
just for today, chose to put our trust in God when we
were afraid?
"Father, I would be lying if I said I’m not afraid for my
family and friends and for myself. I’m thankful You are
willing to 'incline Your ear' to hear my prayers. Help
me to trust in You when I am afraid." |
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brother and who will walk every step of this journey
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CLICK HERE. |
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April 26, 2024 by our
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