finding christ in corona

anxiety becoming an unwanted visitor for me in the last few days, what a relief it was to hear that while my feelings are valid, they do not have to define me, they cannot restrict me & they will not defeat me. 

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Data log

Day number 42

Coronavirus

USA

Mandatory social distancing

Suggested nationwide quarantine 

this is totally what i hear in my mind as i attempt to make any sense of the last few days. militant. strategic. serious. overwhelming. unreal.

what is even happening right now??
anyone still in shock??
anyone seeing this stuff in their dreams??
surely this is almost over??

the reality being, it's been less than a week since things really started to unfold here in the states. and oh how things have changed within these last seven days. 

i'll admit...it took me a few minutes to quiet myself before coming to god this afternoon. so many thoughts and feelings and opinions and stats and press conferences and grocery lists and homework and bills and charts and worries. i find that journaling helps bring some order to my often times whirling mind, so i started listing all the feelings i was experiencing. the bad with the good. then i combated each fear i wrote with a promise from god's word & i wrote a truth beside each of the positive things i was feeling. getting it all out helped.

after some time just talking with god (man, is he a good listener), i opened my raggedy bible to 2 peter, fully intending to continue a study i'm currently doing there, when i saw the words "humility + anxiety" scribbled at the top of the page. they were past notes of mine referencing 1 peter 5:6-11 & as i read these verses i thought, "these words are a sure explanation of the current times."

peter's words in this passage seared me. they seemed written for today. but isn't that just the way of god's living word. same today, yesterday & forever. what a comfort. let these word hug you. let god's word hold you. 

take a moment & really soak up what 1 peter 5:6-11 has to tell us...

this is peter talking to the elders on how to lead the flock. let us listen to this instruction for believers & see how we can apply it. 

6 key words from these 6 verses: humility, anxiety, alert, resist, suffered & dominion. 

here's a little more on what each verse is telling us...

1. humility--our humility in service is a testament that our god can be trusted to give us the recognition we all long for...when the time is right. humility not being a symbol for weakness but quite the opposite...it's strength under control. we have to fully appreciate & embrace who we are in relationship to who god is. (verse 6)

2. anxiety--then in humility, we hand over our anxieties to our father in heaven because he cares for us. and if we believe this to be true, then we can rest knowing god loves us & wants the best for us.  it's especially hard when things are out of our control & uncertain, but we can rely completely on our god, quieting the worries of our heart. (verse 7)

3. alert--a "sober spirit" means we are to remain clear minded, actively looking out for our enemy, the devil. we cannot waste our precious time sitting with our worries. let us not be caught unprepared! let us be found in his word readying ourselves for battle everyday. (verse 8)

4. resist--we must resist the devil. so many snares & pitfalls even when alert. whether it be unrighteous anger towards others or us reacting out of fear rather than faith. but how are we supposed to resist the devil?? by focusing on our faith & trusting god's promises. we should look at these words as a challenge & a cheer for us not to give up. to put in the hard work for christ. (verse 9)

5. suffered--we find here a promise for believers who resist the devil as he tries to destroy the church through suffering. suffering? sound like anything we may be experiencing right now?? the hope we can claim in god is that our suffering won't last forever for the believer. and bonus, we are not alone in our struggles. that right there gives me peace, "but wait, there's more!" in true god-like fashion, he takes care of us abundantly more. oh, the precious gift of grace. the god of all grace. as believers through christ we have the assurance that our suffering will never be in vain. any suffering on earth, for followers of christ, is there to bring about restraint, strength & steadfastness. suffering, for us, is actually meant to produce spiritual fruit, as a refining fire--meaning instead of coming out of it beaten down, we come out stronger--perfected through christ. (see 1 peter 1:6-7) wowza. (verse 10)

6. dominion--don't miss this important reminder. we are told here that god has the ultimate power. and why is that especially important to us?? because that's how we can know for sure that god will keep the promise we find in verse 10. he is sovereign. this is an anchor for every believer. we must stay firm in our faith--even in hard days. (verse 11)

so good, you guys.

all of this, woven together, so beautifully, to work for our benefit as followers of christ.

our anxiety is no surprise.
we are given help on how to deal with it.
our suffering won't last forever.
we are not alone.
our suffering makes us stronger.
we are reassured that this promise will be kept because of who made it.

*praise hands*


anxiety becoming an unwanted visitor for me in the last few days, what a relief it was to hear that while my feelings are valid, they do not have to define me, they cannot restrict me & they will not defeat me. as long as i remain steadfast in christ, i have hope of defeating the enemy & will come out stronger no matter what hardships i may endure.


what a timely passage during this strange time of struggle & uncertainty. 

prayers you find all the toilet paper.

air hugs from six feet away.

**goes to wash hands...again**



xo amanda

[this post was not sponsored by daylight donuts. but i whole-heartedly endorse them.]

[note: the letter "g" doesn't work on my laptop anymore lol so i am copy & pasting every time i use that letter...hence all lowercase "god"s.]