For when things get out of control.

Lately all the talk and hype has been surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak and quarantine, whether you're watching the news, on social media, or just talking to anyone at all. Naturally, this has been not only affecting our day to day lives, but the way we see the world, and of course we are all asking questions like: 

What is everything going to look like when this is all over?

How many people are going to be affected by this?

Am I going to be affected by this?

It is understandable that we would have these questions, and there really isn't anyone who can answer them for us right now. But this does not need to cause panic in our lives.  I can, of course, give you the typical Christian responses of "God's got a plan for us," "God is our healer and our protector," "He didn't give us a spirit of fear," and there are plenty of others like that going around. These reasons are all true, and we should take any wisdom that comes from the Word of God to heart, but assuming that these comforts are wearing thinner and thinner the longer we are cooped up in our homes, I have a somewhat fresh thought for you to consider.

As many of you may know, Passover is coming up in a few weeks. The story of the first Passover in and of itself should be inspiring to us in times like this. God hearing His people's cries and delivering them from from a hopeless situation, all the plagues that happened in the land of Egypt that God kept his people safe from, and then that last night in Egypt, everyone staying cooped up in their houses and following God's instructions so they would be safe during that last, terrible plague. The one that killed. In fact, that first Passover -- people quarantined in their houses, celebrating their pending deliverance among themselves, being careful and staying in to stay safe during a plague -- probably looked a little like Passover celebrations will this year to those of us celebrating it, so this story should really resonate with us this year!

But as I was doing some reading in the book of Exodus (which is where you can find the whole Passover story if you're interested), I came across a verse that I found interesting, considering what is going on in the world right now.

"By now I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with a plague, and you would have been obliterated from the earth. However, I have let you live for this purpose: to show you My power and to make My name known in all the earth." - Exodus 19:15-16 HCSB

Now, the context of this is God speaking to Pharaoh through Moses, explaining basically why they were surviving all these plagues and why Pharaoh was able to refuse them the right to leave, but the concept of it was interesting to me. It made me think of us and our situation.

Sure, you can be scared of the virus, the same as you can be scared of anything that could kill you or the people around you. But ultimately, it is God who is in control. And lots of times, we see crazy things happen that remind us that we are ultimately not in control of our own fates or where our lives will take us. Think about it. We were all doing just fine, and then out of nowhere we are home bound, our jobs, the economy, our health, and pretty much everything is somewhat up in the air and we are seeing that we do not control the world and what happens in it.

Our self preservation kicks in and we do irrational things like stock up on toilet paper in order to make ourselves feel in control, when really we are struggling with the concept that we are not. But you know what? That doesn't have to be scary. In fact, it can be reassuring. 

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 reminds us that it is in the parts of us that are weakest that God's strength comes through the most. When we are humbled and our ego is out of the way, His strength shines through, and we are able to truly bear His image, which is what we were created to do. 

When we are weak and not in control, it opens the door to not only remind us of God's power and divine control, but it also opens the door for His strength and love and light to be shown to other people through us. We get to be the ones who pass on the message. And we don't get that opportunity if we are clinging to control, trying to make a name for ourselves instead of showing everyone where hope and life and love really comes from.

So, I implore you, embrace the vulnerability. Embrace the fact that you cannot control what is happening, or what will happen. Rejoice because you follow a God who can. Dance for joy because He is stronger than you ever could be, and that He has you here on this earth at this exact time for a reason, and that reason does not cease to exist for any virus, or quarantine, or loss of resources. 

Rejoice in your weakness, because when we are weak, then we are strong.

Keeping Yourself Healthy, Body, Mind, and Soul

If you live basically anywhere in the world right now and don't live under a rock (which I apparently do, because I didn't even know about the whole people-panic-buying-all-the-toilet-paper thing until Thursday when I ran out and ended up having to buy way too much online in order to get any at all), then you know that the COVID-19, or corona virus, is now officially a pandemic, and is all people are talking about all over the world. This understandably, is causing quite a bit of anxiety and fear to a lot of people.

Maybe you are someone who is at a higher risk of getting sick, or at a higher risk of being more negatively affected by getting sick, and are anxious about leaving your house. Maybe you have loved ones who are higher risk and are afraid for them, or maybe you even know someone who already has been affected by it. Or maybe you live in an area that is more highly affected already, and are falling into the fear that is sweeping your area. Or perhaps you're like me, and it isn't necessarily the virus you are afraid of, but the economic implications, and the possibility of your household suffering from a loss of work. Or maybe you're just freaked out because people are all so panicky and acting irrationally and a little crazy!

Regardless of exactly why you may be feeling some fear and anxiety, most of us are experiencing some, on some level anyway. It may feel like there isn't a whole lot we can do about anything right now, besides staying home, staying away from large groups of people, and washing our hands. While these are all good tips, you may be thinking that they are not going to ultimately stop the virus, especially because it came out of nowhere and so fast. It was already upon us by the time we were worried about it.

Well, there are a few things we can do to help ourselves and those around us, so I have compiled a list of tips here to not only help keep our bodies healthy, but also to keep us from worrying ourselves to death and so we can fell mentally sound during these trying times.

1) Try not to worry so much. 
I know, that's kind of a tall order, and it's more easily said than done, but if you can cut down on your worrying and stressing, it will help your sanity and your health. When you are under a lot of stress, your immune system suffers, and now more than ever we need to try and keep that from happening. If you're like me, knowing that stress can hinder your immune system just makes the whole thing more stressful! But there are ways that we can cut down on that. And if you are a Christian like I am, it can be made even easier because we know that God is in control of the whole situation, so there is no need to worry! That being said, we are human and prone to worrying. So here are some things that may help cut out some of that stress:

• Prayer/Meditation/Quiet Reflection. As a Christian, I make it a priority to read and meditate on the Bible daily, as well as having a daily prayer time. During part of my prayer time, I make sure to set some time aside for me to just sit in God's presence, taking deep, calming breaths, and listening. A lot of times when we pray it's all talk, which is good, but we should also listen. And be still. This can be great for our health, because we are taking some time where we are doing nothing but being in God's presence, and the more we do that, the easier it is to remember during stressful times that we are always in his presence, and to bring the peace and truth that we find in our quiet moments with Him into the more stressful ones.
• Exercise. Moving your body helps your mind to relax, even if it's just going for a walk with loved ones.
• Journaling. Sometimes writing down all of your worries helps you to sort through them and see them for what they really are, or even just get them out of your system.
• Talk it out. You don't have to bottle up those feelings and worries, tell someone about them. It will probably make you fell better, and maybe they are dealing with the same worries and can empathize with you, or maybe call out your more irrational fears and bring you some peace of mind. It also is comforting to realize that you are not in all of this alone.
• Read your Bible. God is in control, and the Bible is full of stories and accounts that prove that. And reading and dwelling on His promises should help you feel better about your life, especially when you remember that He is in control no matter what happens.
• Stretching, particularly before bed. Stretching can release tension that you are holding in your body, and can help you sleep better.

2) Make sure you're getting enough sleep.

And good quality sleep at that. Getting a good solid 7-9 hours of sleep a night can do wonders for your immune system, and for your peace of mind. If you are having trouble sleeping, try one or more of these suggestions to help:

• Stretching before bed, as I said in the first point, helps to release tension you're holding in your body and relaxes your muscles so you can fall asleep easier and stay asleep.
• Try turning off all screens an hour or so before bed. Instead, do something relaxing like reading a book or taking a bath, something that will calm your mind a bit instead of stimulate it like the TV or your phone or tablet will.
• Drink a nice, soothing cup of herbal tea. Just make sure you give it time to go through your system so you don't need the bathroom in the middle of the night!

3) Get some exercise.

Especially if you can go outside or open your windows while you're doing it. Exercising helps to oxygenate your cells, making them stronger and healthier, giving your immune system a boost and also shipping out any toxins that are already in your system.

4) Eat lots of fruits and veggies, and try to stay away from processed food.

Fruits and veggies and other unprocessed foods like whole grains and beans give your body all the nutrients it needs in a way that is easy to absorb, keeping your immune system up. When you eat processed foods, like packaged, pre-made, foods with junk in them, or foods with a lot of processec wheat and/or sugar, your body has to use more energy breaking them down and gets less nutrients than what you need to be healthy, which could potentially compromise your immune system.

5) Drink lots of water!

This can help your body flush out any toxins that are in it, and keeping your body well hydrated keeps all of its different parts operating how they are supposed to. 

6) Take some high quality, immune boosting supplements.

You're probably thinking vitamin C, and that's definitely a good one. But probably more importantly is vitamin D, especially this time of year when it's hard to really get any from the sun. Taking a supplement of this could be huge for your health. It does a lot of different things for you, including fighting inflammation, which in turn helps you fight infection. And it can help bring your mood up too! Another good thing to think about taking is a probiotic. Your gut is pretty much the center of your health, and taking a probiotic not only helps add good bacteria, but also helps to get rid of bad bacteria that may be in your body.

There you go! If you follow this simple advice, it should help you as you try to stay healthy, and help you keep your sanity as well! Keeping your body healthy goes hand in hand with keeping your mind and soul healthy. If you're one of the people impacted by cancellations and are stuck at home, try to make the best of it and spend some time with your family, catch up on your reading, or any of the other things you just haven't had time for. This may also be a great time to work on your relationship with God, while you have the time, and shine your light to help bring hope to those who need it!