peace in panic
Panic buying was something we have been hearing about. So how much do I stock? This is a question I keep asking myself. We were one of those panic buyers during the coronavirus epidemic. We just missed getting essentials like toilet tissues in the stores we went to. I returned home as my husband had gone searching in other shops. Before giving up, he was prompted to check out our regular store if by chance they had restocked in less than the hour we had checked earlier. He was in for a surprise when he saw a store employee bringing toilet tissues to restock.
On my last visit to the regular Indian store I was greeted with fresh stock. Today it was a pleasure to see my regular supermarket stocked with many of my favourites which I bought. It’s in times of uncertainty we see the hand of God in our life. My trip to the supermarket was unplanned, but it was like God telling me that He will provide for our needs. Last week as I came home wondering what lay ahead as my husband went around looking for tissues… I was reminded of God providing for the Israelites in the desert with Manna. The important thing was that they were provided every day. They were to take what they needed. Today I was tempted to buy something I did not need, as it’s helpful to stock up. I realised by doing so, I was denying someone else their need.
During difficult times it’s essential to take care of ourselves. We also need to be concerned about those around us. Our acts of kindness can be sharing what we have to those less privileged around us. Our friends shared their masks with us as we sourced ours. Checking with each other by calls and messages is encouraging as it helps us stay connected during this time of virtual house arrest.
Strangely this season reminds me of the time when we were waiting for my husband to get a job a few years back. This was after the death of my younger son to leukaemia. We had gone back to India to treat my son before he passed away. When you have commitments to pay, a family to run, it’s not easy to stay for long without a job. Waiting for my husband’s job, we were unsure of where to put my son for school. The uncertainty was a challenge for us emotionally, even as we were grieving.
There is a similar uncertainty today with the changing landscape of the business dynamics brought about by the Coronavirus. Our son is moving to a crucial year, the question on our minds is, Is online support enough at this time? What more do we have to do? Surprisingly there is a calmness and peace in our hearts. The past eight months in Hongkong was not easy by any means. Still, the experiences we have had makes life exciting and memorable. It’s in life’s most uncertain times we find ourselves closest to God. The lesson I learnt when my younger son passed away was that God knew my son was going to die, and He carried us through that difficult time. It is with this assurance we live now. I may not know what tomorrow holds, but I know the God who holds my tomorrow. I should say, He is the God who knows the unknowns.
Another aspect I would attribute to the peace and calmness is the fearlessness of death. Do I want to die? NO. But I am ready to face death. There is a certainty to death, it’s just that it usually is unannounced. Our beliefs play an essential role in what we believe about death. Seeing the unexplainable spiritual experience my seven-year-old son had before he passed away has taken away my fears of death. This is in line with my Christian faith. Recently I met a lady who was healed of cancer without Chemotherapy or any treatment. Her testimony was God healed her. Yes, she believed God would heal her, but she was also ready to die as her belief was that absent in body was being present with Christ. It was her relationship with God which helped her go through the troubled time.
Today as we are caught up in this epidemic, there are many options open to us. Every choice has a similar amount of uncertainty associated with it. During this time, it is best to stay calm and go through each day, facing the joy and troubles for that day. My peace and happiness are grounded in Christ, who has not let me down yet. Praying that everyone’s panic would be replaced with peace and joy during this time of uncertainty.
