Shaken, But Not Stirred: A Covid-19 Reflection
Just call me a rebel; I love God and trap music. My faith is stable; however, if you come at me sideways, I might be tempted to curse you out. Imperfect people are primed to be representatives of Christ when we’re authentically human. So when I say I’m a Christian, just know my relationship with God is not dependent upon your acceptance of who I am. It is based upon my realization of who He is to me, which frames the beauty of my existence.
As we face a COVID-19 pandemic, my faith keeps me grounded and tests me to ensure when I read aloud the scripture, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me…” (Psalms 23:4) that it’s true. Therefore I selectively choose to encompass the power of God made real in the flesh. To be honest, from the outside looking in, the fear meter is tilting toward a little panic worry mode. But from the inside looking out, my foundation reminds me of the moments that had the power to take my breath away. Yet and still, my feet continue to move forward despite the obstacles that were sent to knock me down. All hope is not lost.
The key to shifting our fear to faith rests in the ability to be vulnerable and open with God about our true feelings, then allowing Him to cover us with his amazing grace. Don’t let anyone make you feel bad for speaking your truth. Right now, I’m worried about my elderly parents. My dad, who is having a hard time sitting still and likes to leave the house for errands, is hardheaded (a trait I inherited), and I don’t want him or his wife (My mom) in jeopardy of receiving this virus. So I’ve made the conscious decision to put them in God’s hands. Ain’t it funny when the tables turn and we must now tell our parents what to do? Who knew?
One thing I know for sure is that I am not God, and I am not in the mood to come up with a theory as to why a pandemic is occurring globally, and lives are being lost at alarming rates. The Bible scripturally details the events that are to come, although the realization of the moment in the present takes you aback. Right now, the one thing that deserves my attention is determining what this moment means to me personally. What can I learn about myself while going through this pandemic? How can I use the gifts God has given me to strengthen myself or others? I prayed for the miracle of being able to stay home as needed, support my child, and earn a significant income. Although the miracle didn’t arrive the way I expected, the moment is here, and what will I do with this opportunity?
At times, life has a way of rocking us to the core, similar to a bartender using a shaker to present a cocktail. It’s necessary to be shaken so that all of our ingredients are mixed together well. As we are being tossed in this stainless steel tool, God is a keeper and holds us in His hands. How we come out of this into the glass determines our altitude or acceleration.
May you find peace in the valley and the light of the Son to guide you along the way. Be shaken (feeling a little uneasy) on the outside, but not stirred (feeling helplessness) on the inside by the fear that surrounds us. We will get through this. One day at a time.