My son loves the month of March. Not only is his birthday in the month, but it also (normally) is filled with basketball -- the SEC championship and his beloved March Madness. All of that was canceled this year, MUCH to his dismay.
I have several cousins and children of friends who are graduating seniors this year. They've waited for this occasion since they first knew what a senior was. Unless something happens to change things quickly, there will be no graduation ceremonies in May. No caps and gowns. No walking across the stage to receive a diploma. And, even before that, no proms. What a letdown!
Basketball teams weren't allowed to finish their seasons. Baseball and softball teams were barely getting warmed up before their games were suspended. The Summer Olympics have been postponed. Imagine how many years those athletes have been training.
College students were told to pack up their dorm rooms and go home to finish their courses on-line. My granddaughter was LOVING being on campus with her friends. What a bummer to face in her freshman year.
For months, Steve and I were anticipating our two-week trip to the United Kingdom and Ireland in mid-April. Flights were booked. Fees paid. Daughter Laura even gave me a hairdryer for Christmas, specifically for use in the U.K. I had plenty of travel-sized toiletries and a 2-week supply of Onederwear. We were set. But, now it won't happen, and who knows when airlines will be flying internationally again?
Weddings are being postponed. Funerals are being conducted online because of the ban on groups gathering. Stock prices, that represent retirement income, have plummeted.
We're being forced to stay far away from our grandchildren, and our church family can only meet virtually. I daresay there isn't a single person in the civilized world who hasn't been affected in some way, and MOST have faced deep disappointment and disruption to their lives.
What are we supposed to do in times like this? Wring our hands in despair? Cry? Blame President Trump? Question God? Give up?
We want an explanation. We want to know NOW how everything is going to turn out. We know in our heart of hearts that God is not surprised and that He sees the Big Picture, but there are just times in our lives when we "see through a glass darkly." (1 Corinthians 13:12). And there are things we simply will not completely understand until we get to heaven and can ask Jesus in person. God IS working, even when we can't see it or fathom why things are happening the way they are.
Ecclesiastes 11:5 - "As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things." (NIV)
But, take heart, friends. There are truths that we DO know, facts about God that we can trust and put our confidence in. Here are some of those:
1. We know God loves us. John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
2. We know He'll never leave us. Hebrews 13:5 - "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
3. We know God is for us and not against us. Romans 8:31 - "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"
4. We know God's Word is true. Psalm 33:4 - "For the word of the Lord is right and true;
He is faithful in all He does."
5. We know God's heart is kind. Acts 14:17 - "Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; He provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”
Stay well, friends. Follow the guidelines the experts have given us. Make the most of these days. And believe with all your heart that GOD IS IN CONTROL.