The Learning Curve---COVID 19: Part Three

THE LEARNING CURVE---COVID-19: Part Three

A World-Wide Pandemic

The Corona Virus is still in control. Social distancing, hand washing, face masks and stay-at-home orders are still the norm.

These guidelines have changed my life. How about you?

It’s easy to forget the advice in Proverbs (27:1) which says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.”

*John Glenn, an astronaut chosen to orbit in space, illustrates this well. After years of training, his mission was rescheduled eleven times.

That means ten times he was ready to go, but someone with higher authority and more knowledge said, “Not today. Mission aborted.”

His flight finally took place on February 20, 1962. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything.” From the description of his orbital flight, I think John would agree it was worth the wait.

Under virus protocol it’s easy to feel like our life is a “mission aborted.”

When we are finally “released for take-off” how will we react? That may depend on our current daily attitude.

Some people will come out of this challenge with new interests and happy memories. Others will have nothing but negative reports and plenty of complaints.

My fifth learning curve: Value Life and Enjoy It One Day at a Time.

Hemmed in by the Blues

I recently woke up in what I call “a blue funk.” I couldn’t find a reason. I was muddling through the morning when a friend called. She said some ladies were joining in prayer, each in their home, at a certain time.

I agreed to join, but when the time came, I still didn’t feel like praying. As a point of faith, I picked up my Bible and started reading. Then I started talking to God about the caller’s prayer request.

As I was praying for that person, I began to feel peaceful. In fact, when my prayer time was over, I actually found myself singing.

That change of attitude was a marvelous experience.

Here’s the secret: I did not pray because I felt like it. I decided to pray by faith. Hebrews 11:6 (NLT) says without faith we cannot please God, but it says nothing about feelings.

That verse further explains that faith means we come to God because we believe He exists, and that He will reward those who sincerely seek Him.

That’s not hard to understand and I can tell you, “It’s true.”

Psalm 62:8 tells us to trust in God at all times and pour out our hearts to Him. All times? Yes. Because faith is based on trust in God’s Word, not feelings.

My sixth learning curve: There’s Never a Wrong Time to Pray.  

*John Glenn: A Memoir, John Glenn with Nick Taylor, Bantam Books, NY, ©1999, Chapter 18, p. 256, Chapter 19, p. 275.