Girls,
We find ourselves at a strange time. We are facing a global pandemic. People are scared. They are buying all the food up, states are shutting schools down, people are being told to stay home. States and cities are locking down and not allowing people outdoors. It is definitely something that no one has ever experienced
We just cancelled school for the next 5 weeks. IT WILL BE LONGER. I doubt that we go back. Avaleigh, I don’t know if you will have a Kindergarten graduation. Lindley, I don’t know if you will start Kindergarten on time. However, I am so happy that I get to be with you over the next few weeks and months. I need our time together. It is important to me. Yall are important to me and give me a reason to be courageous. My promise to you is that I will keep trying to provide some type of normalcy for yall.
I have no ideas how this all plays out. Not knowing what is coming can be very scary…and I’m slightly worried. I’m worried about my future, your future…our future as a family.
I’m going to date myself here and show you how old I am, again. Have you ever seen Back to the Future? If you haven’t, I’m not going to give you any spoilers. Let me share a simplified version of the plot. The main character, Marty McFly (yes, that was his name), traveled to the past. When he got there, he spent all of his time trying to impact how the future would play out. He was trying to make the “future” happen. I won’t go into the reasons why he was doing that, but how would you react if you had a crystal ball that showed you how the future would go? What if you didn’t like it? Would you try to change it? Would you get so caught up in knowing that each action you were taking would impact what would happen in the future?
I think we all would. I think most of us would focus on trying to create a better future for ourselves. We would become so consumed with the future and trying to impact it and we might not do what is best for this moment, right now.
Well, remember this…life doesn’t announce itself. Life is messy, unexpected, and full of surprises. Nobody knew this was coming or things would have been different. We are guilty of trying to shape the future by behaving in ways that will impact the future because we are scared of the unknown.
Let me share a verse with you.
Read Hebrews 13:8.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Read that verse and this next sentence over and over.
He formed the end from the beginning and he has everything under control. He already knows how your life plays out. He has already created the monunmentlal moments in your life. He has seen them. He sees your success. He also sees your future battles. He knows how all of this plays out.
Should we just live carefree and let what is going to happen simply occur? After all, if God knows what is going to occur….can’t you just go through life doing whatever and let what is intended to happen simply happen?
Here are a few things that I would encourage you to do to guide your path:
- Fix your eyes on Christ and create a firm foundation for your life. How? Work on developing and knowing your morals and values. Work on building a foundation based on the expectations Christ has for us. To do that, you have to read the Bible. You have to reflect on what you have read. Yall, that is so important.
- Don’t hold back. Be all in on Christ. Accept Christ. Live for him and let him live through you. Think about what it means to let Christ live through you.
- Follow the “Do Right” rule. What is the “Do Right” rule? Simple. Do what is right. Do what is right when there are people around. More importantly, do what is right when people aren’t around. There are no secrets we can keep from God. He can see everything, even what is on your cell phone and in your text messages.
You want to know the future? I can tell you what the future is if you accept Christ and live for him. I can remove that doubt for you. It doesn’t remove the challenges and the tests, but remember what I said about God plowing the fields. We need those tests and trials to become what God intended for us to be?
Let’s talk about what is going on today. Let’s talk about fear of the unknown and the elephant in the room….the coronavirus. Do we know what is going to happen? No. Do we know if this will just go away, how many people will get sick, how many people will die? No, we don’t. Just know who is in charge….President Trump isn’t in charge, a senator isn’t in charge, nor are doctors in charge. God has this.
Know that in this situation….we, as Christians, have a role to play. Wherever you are, whatever you do, we play the role of help. Let me tell what some of us are doing. I have no medical training, so I can’t help in the medical field. Here is what I do have….I have access to food, access to kids’ addresses, access to buses, and access to people who want to help. Mix all of those ingredients up and what do you get? Buses with food going to address of kids who need it. I feel like it is my responsibility to make sure all the kids in this community are fed. Is it risky for my health? Absolutely. Do I think this coronavirus might take me from Earth? It is possible. I have a mold allergy that impacts my breathing. I’m certainly at risk.
We have to help. We have to do what God has called us to do and I have known since this all started that was going to be my role. I’m scared, but I can’t run from it. I have an obligation to the community, its kids, and my God. You might wonder about my commitment to you?
By sacrificing for others, I hope you will see how we should live. My words aren’t enough. Words speak, but nothing conveys a message as good as our actions.
Just remember….we are always faced with choices and tests that will help us become the people we are intended to become. Which path will you forge today? The easy path isn’t the right path.
Dad of Girls 