“It’s A Good Thing ” Reflections On Covid-19

In February, 1973, my little town of Aiken, SC was hit with a great winter storm which dumped snow for 24 hours culminating in a total of 15 inches. It remained on the ground for a solid week as SC was crippled with power outages, road closings as well as businesses. At the time I was 14 years old and that night as snow softly fell to the ground, I prayed a simple prayer, “Lord, please let it snow all night!”. God answered.

Suddenly, much of the state came to a stop as there was very little snow-removal equipment. Motorists were stranded, food supplies ran low and many became desperate.  But in my little world on Seneca Avenue, all did not stop.  Neighbors merged out of their warm homes, reaching out and checking on each other, inquiring of their needs. It became priority to know what every neighbor needed. We walked joyfully several blocks in the snow to check on friends. Long- awaited conversations took place and even some playful snowball fights. I can still see my dad throwing those icy, packed snowballs at some of my school friends, followed by much laughter!

In all this my dad repeatedly commented on the snowstorm, “It’s a good thing! It has slowed everyone down, they are reaching out to their neighbors and families in a brand new way. We must be grateful.”

Now here in the midst of a global pandemic my dad’s words have come back to me.  I can honestly say as a young girl I did not fully appreciate what my dad was conveying to me and my sisters during that great snowfall of ‘73. Oftentimes we are too busy, too distracted to even consider the needs around us or note the pain someone else may be feeling.   I know the massive snowstorm of ’73 is no comparison to the weight of this terrible virus. How could Covid-19 be a good thing?

In Exodus 20:25 God requires that the altar the Israelites were to build was to be from unhewn stones. This meant that no cutting instrument or tool was to be used. God knows that man’s tendency  is to showcase himself. Sometimes God wants us to return to utter simplicity. We can become so structured, so routine that life, even our devotional life, can become stale and stagnant. In the midst of it all God breaks up our little nicely “hewed” out routines and schedules us with a pandemic that rattles and shakes the world. But isn’t He a God that is entitled to break in, change habits and start new directions?

At first, the thought of a quarantine sparked immediate thoughts of getting caught up on all those books stacked idly on my shelf or even tackling some of those nagging projects. You know those “to do” tasks that always seem to remain content in a corner “broken” and “unfixed.” Mentally, I calculated how I would spend this “lock-down.”  This would not be wasted time for me! That certainly seemed like a “good thing” to me.

Obviously, many us who lead very busy lives were forced to slow down and were not in a hurry to get to the next appointment or event because it was no more! Looking at calendars was no longer urgent. It appeared every distraction, every priority had been shut down. Many worked from home and once again neighbors reached out and picked up groceries, shared supplies (including toilet paper) and encouraged each other with cards, texts and phone calls. The change was real. Emotions were fragile. But one thing remained constant and never- changing: God’s love and His sovereignty!  The world calamity had not caught God by surprise or wonder. Everything is Father-filtered. He remains constant!

Remembering the great men and women of the faith who endured sufferings much greater. Their faith in the One who remains faithful, is what kept them going. When Corrie ten Boom and her sister, Betsy, were in Ravenstruck, a German concentration camp, they dealt with appalling barracks infested with lice, meager rations of food, sickness and cruel guards. Their faith was tested. When they discovered the fleas swarming in their straw covered bed, Corrie responded to her sister, “Betsie, how can we live in such a place?”  Suddenly Corrie heard Betsie say, “Show us. Show us how.” Betsie then said, “He’s given us the answer! Before we asked, as He always does! In the Bible this morning. Where was it? Read that part again!’ Corrie carefully managed to pull a small bible she smuggled in. “It was in I Thessalonians, here it is; ‘ Comfort the frightened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always see to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5:14-18.

“That’s it!” Betsie interrupted. “That’s His answer. Give thanks in all circumstances!’

That’s what we can do. We can start right now to thank God for every single thing about this barrack!” That is exactly what the sisters did!

To give thanks through this “heavy season” has required much faith as I have longed to put this “life-interruption” puzzle together and once again feel a sense of normalcy.

I can no longer major in things that do not count or get upset when life is suddenly tampered with because God is in the interruptions! Embracing a newfound contentment encouraged me to thank God in this season, notice the needs of my neighbor and lastly to remember the words of my Father, “It’s a good thing!