These 4 walls

     Welcome to our new world. A world of no activities, no where to go eat, no where to go watch a movie, no sports to watch, no concerts, empty store shelves and no touching anyone. We live in a world of watching to see what event is cancelled or postponed next instead of the rushing to get to all the things on our calendars. We live in a world that makes you question if your outing is really needed before going out. We live in a world of fear, worry and wondering. It seems each new day brings us a new shutdown or a new ban. Every health organization in the world publishes a new guideline everyday. Almost every time you turn on the TV the President or the Governor is on giving an update or issuing something. How do you like this new world? I am not a fan. I know it is only temporary but I am already for it to be over. 

     My regular weekly schedule only left me at home one or two nights a week and now I find myself home seven nights a week. You can't watch TV because almost every channel is having some kind of special about the virus and how it is turning the world upside-down. I don't need a reporter to tell me that. I need a reporter to tell me where I can find toilet paper and hamburger meat. If I could find enough hand sanitizer I could retire early.
     I think most of us are tired of staring at the same four walls. We are not out and about as we are accustomed to and it is driving us crazy. We all wanted some time at home to do nothing but at this

point we are ready to branch out and spread our wings. If you are like me the walls seem to be closing in. I think those wall represent our feelings. 

     One wall represents our lack of control in this situation. We are used to controlling what we do and when we do it. Right now we have little control of the situation. We can't decide to take the family out to eat. We have to find a place that is open, go get it and bring it back home. It just isn't the same. As I prayed about how I could get control again God spoke to me. He reminded me I was never in control. He has always been in control. He hasn't lost control either. Once we remind ourselves that then one wall will start to back up.

     The next wall is frustration. I, like most people have a routine. I know where I am supposed to be and when I am supposed to be there. If I don't know, I ask my wife and she tells me. It is frustrating not knowing what to do. It is frustrating not being able to have church. It is frustrating not getting to have the activities we planned. It is frustrating seeing all of the things my daughter has looked forward to during her senior year get cancelled. God wants to remind us of somethings. He hasn't closed the church. We will still get to have church. We are having Parking Lot Praise on Sunday mornings at 10:30 am. (Yes, that is a shameless plug) It may not be normal but it is kind of exciting. I have never preached from a wagon. It is something different and it will be fun. God wants to remind us that if we get too busy for Him, He does have the power to slow us down. We may not be willing to clear our schedule for Him, but He is able to clear it for us. So this "slow time" should be used by all of us to draw nigh to God so that He will draw nigh to us. Once we do that the wall of frustration will start to move back.
    The third wall is the wall of unknown. We fear the unknown. We don't like the unknown. We think we have the right to know. God is telling us we don't have to know the unknown because He does. That is why we are to trust God with all of our heart. Not just say we do, but really doing it. We are not to rely on our understanding of the unknown but rely on His. Even in times like we live in today we should acknowledge Him in all our ways. When we do that He will guide us down the right paths. If we follow His direction the third wall will move on back.
    The last wall is the biggest and the fastest moving wall. It is the wall of me. When things get us out of our routine we want to whine. When we can't do what we want to do we pout. When we are not getting what we want we get mad. When things are hard we get sad. All of those things are wrong. We should be getting glad. Why? We can still have JOY! If we find happiness in our things, in doing what we want, or in our desires we will never experience true joy. True joy comes from the Lord. I was talking to a man who was born in Guatemala. He had to go to work at a young age to support his family. Diseases that killed lots of people was common to him. Not having things was common to him. Not getting to go places was common to him. What was uncommon about him was his happiness didn't come from those things like ours does. He found happiness in what God has blessed him with. A new life, a wife, four kids and the ability to be home with them. That is joy. We need to stop naming our hardships, our troubles, our problems and our unfulfilled desires. We need to start naming our blessings. Nothing in this world can take our joy when it comes from the Lord. When we find joy in the Lord the last wall will back off.
     So, I am going to praise God today. I get to spend extra time with my family that He has blessed me with. I have a box of bacon in the freezer. God is giving me ways to minister to my church during this time. God is blessing my family with health. My salvation is in His hands not mine. God has given me a peace during this time of unrest. God is good!


Parting Thought: Some people are not shaking hands because of the Coronavirus. I am not shaking hands because a lot of people are out of toilet paper.