In the midst of our 3 week state mandated “stay at home” order from the governor, Diane and I had the privilege of Face Timing our son, daughter-in-law and our 2-year-old grandson, Liam. I am so very thankful for today’s technology of connecting with others, in the midst of ‘social distancing’ (which I prefer to call ‘physical distancing’). A good portion of our Face Time with our grandson was spent singing lots of children’s songs that he is learning … ‘The Itsy, Bitsy Spider’, ‘Row, Row, Row Your Boat’ and many others. We also sang the ‘ABC’ song with him as he learns the alphabet.
As I thought about the ABC song, some thoughts came to my mind that I pray might be helpful to all of us as we adjust to our new circumstances of life …
A – Acknowledge your feelings: It is important to examine and process how we are feeling as we journey through the ‘global pandemic’. If we are transparent, most of us would admit to a feeling of loss of control of our lives which brings accompanying feelings of anxiety and fear. These feelings can be overwhelming. Listen to Dr. Henry Cloud address how anxiety and fear impacts our brains …
“Your brain cannot reach its highest level of functioning when you are riddled with anxiety. It’s difficult for you to be productive… your brain activity changes and it becomes negative.”
So how do we handle feelings of anxiety and fear?
Psalm 56:3-4 “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise – in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
I Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
Prayer brings the peace of God to our lives.
B – Balance your intake of news and social media with your intake of Scripture. Constantly listening to news sources as well as social media can lead to despair and hopelessness. Our hope is in God and the Word of God!
Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”
C – Control: When life is seemingly out of control, we need to trust in the Sovereign God who is in control. We should also take inventory of what we can control. Here are just a few things …
Our attitude: Scripture admonishes us to have an attitude of gratitude. Spend some time giving God thanks today.
Our diet and exercise: A healthy diet and exercising daily will benefit us all greatly.
Our schedule: Try to come up with a schedule that will give some much needed structure to your day.
Our decisions: Be creative and choose to do good. Think of ways we can bless others and encourage them. Call 3 people today and check in with them. You will be blessed just as much as the recipient of your call.
Let’s practice our ABC’s in the coming days to the Glory of God!!