In the world that we live in, we are surrounded by “bad news”. Whether it’s on your social media feeds, or your TV, it’s all around us. If you’re not careful, it can begin to consume you, and you can begin to forget about the good things that has been happening in your life, or even overlook them.
It reminds me of the story of the Israelites. If you read the book of Exodus, you see how they began to be oppressed and it says:
The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and He remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.
Exodus 2: 23-25, NIV
God didn’t stop at just being “concerned about them” either, He responded by going to Moses:
And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, GO. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.
Exodus 3: 9-10, NIV (emphasis added)
If you read on, you will see exactly how God went about rescuing His people out of their oppression. I mean, God was wrecking Egypt left and right, yet keeping his people safe, and the Israelites SAW firsthand. God showed up and showed out for His people, just like He said He would, and the Israelites were able to break free from Pharoah’s grip.
However, when an the Israelites found themselves sandwich in between the Red Sea and the Egyptians marching towards them,
They were terrified and cried out to the Lord.
Exodus 14: 10b, NIV
When “troubles” came their way, the Israelites froze and focused on what the troubles in front of them, and nearly forgot ALL they witnessed their Savior do for them in the rescuing. So many times we do the same thing…we see God move in our life, in various ways. When those times come, we celebrate that moment. However, when a “tough time” hits us, we forget that the same God that moved before, is the same God that can move again. We forget, so we begin to practically “glorify” the bad news/tough time/trouble/whatever you want to call it. I love how Moses responds to the Israelites:
Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.
exodus 14: 13-14, NIV (emphasis added)
In this time of this pandemic, I choose to stand firm and watch the deliverance my Lord and Savior will bring forth. I know that the Lord is fighting for me and mine, so I will continue to be still, right where He has me. Where He has me right now, is homeschooling my nephew, helping out at our Dream Center serving hot meals to families in need, building a strong foundation in my marriage, spending time with family, and continuing to work with the ministries over in Spain (you know, at the YWAM base that I work with in Madrid).
While I am being still, I am choosing to see the treasures God has placed along the way – and I’m picking them up as well. As a teacher, one treasure I have noticed is the increase of involvement between parents and their child’s education.
Fortunately, and unfortunately, parents are having to be more involved in their child’s education right now. I know not all parents are teachers, so their being involved may cause some confusion on both sides, but there has been more of an effort from parents to at least try to teach/help their child.
I do understand that this is not true for ALL parents, but I do know that in my family, I have seen more involvement from my brother and sister-n-love with my nephew. Not only have I noticed the growth in my nephew academically, but I’ve also noticed the growth in my brother and sis-n-love in the way they interact with their sons schooling. It’s a beautiful thing – really. Not only has this given more opportunity for involvement of the parents, but also the family. My mom, for example, has been able to participate in my nephew’s Spirit Week, that she would never have been able to participate in with the work that she does. My sis-n-love was also able to participate in the Spirit Week.
It’s been these small things, that I have also noticed, that have been filling my nephew’s tank. He misses his teacher and his classmates, but I have seen him get so excited this week about having Spirit week, and share in these moments with his family. These moments are the moments that He will remember most during the pandemic.
Another treasure that God has laid out before us is the treasure of quality time. I’ve seen so many pictures/videos of families getting creative while being safely quarantined inside with loved ones. Picnics in the backyard, forts in the house, “cooking competitions”, Tik Toks (yes, even the old folks know how to have fun), and I really could go on. It truly is a beautiful thing to see. Especially knowing that it’s these moments that builds up the relationship, that becomes a “favorite memory”, that brings forth the needed change.
As for me and my family, I have loved the memories we’ve been creating:
I understand that being quarantined with families has not been all roses for everyone, and I’m sorry for those of you who are suffering from this time, instead of feeling blessed – know that I am praying for you. And I want to remind you, the Lord is fighting for you, so stand firm and do not be afraid.
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