Quarantined, but not Alone

Quarantined. Social distancing. Self isolation. These words are now a part of our daily vocabulary. About 11 years ago, I had to deal with a similar situation. My son was a little over 1 and I developed the craziest symptoms! I had oozing sores all over my body, I was in constant pain, I could hardly sleep, and I couldn’t stand up for long periods of time.  My son would want me to pick him up and I would be exhausted after 5 minutes.

One time, in the summer, he wanted to go to the park. I had to wear long sleeves because of the unsightly sores on my body and in the summertime, it could get really hot! I rarely went outside but I decided to take him to the park down the street and he began to play with some of the kids. I began to talk to the parents but after a few minutes, I looked down and noticed that I had these wet spots on my sleeves. I walked awa­y from the group and rolled up my sleeves only to see the scabs were starting to burst and ooze. I panicked. What would these ladies say about me? Had they seen these wet spots I was now so fixated on? What kind of mother was I if I couldn’t take my son to the park for more than 10 minutes? By then I was sweating profusely and tired so I sat under some shade but when the itching got so bad, I had to regrettably get my son and take him home.

During the months that followed I spent a lot of time praying. I felt defeated, incompetent, unfit, depressed, and a host of other emotions. I felt isolated and didn’t know what to do. But one day I read Psalms 91 but verse 3 caught my attention “Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence”. Fast forward to now, COVID-19 is running rampant across the world. Many people are scared of the “invisible enemy.” People are hoarding supplies, schools have shifted to online learning, and many people have lost their jobs. But here’s the thing: we can still have peace in the midst of the chaos. I know it’s hard to stay home not knowing when life is going to return to normal or if there will be a normal to return to. I know it’s scary when you start knowing people that have been affected. I know it’s sad that you can’t go visit your grandparents because of the fear of transmitting germs. Through all of this, God says that we can have a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Trust Him because He is always there for you- especially in the darkest times.

Pray: Lord, these are uncertain times we are living in. I pray that you will protect my family, my friends, and others I love. I pray for strength, courage, and wisdom. You have always been t­­­here for me and I know you are not going to disappear now. I love you Jesus. Amen