Change. Sickness. Death. Uncertainty. Isolation. These are a few of the words we have been hearing over and over about covid-19, and these are the words that speak fear, not faith, to my heart and mind. I struggle, sometimes rather deeply, to breathe in the air of eternal hope and promise when my life is being tossed about by the temporary rough seas of change and fear. So when I was reminded of this beautiful poem popularized by Elisabeth Elliot long before Covid-19, it filled my lungs and mind once again with the air of truth and the reality of eternal rescue that I so desperately needed. Assuming I’m not alone in these fears and doubts, I thought I would share….P.s. I write this not as one who has figured it all out and consistently checks all of these boxes, but as one who struggles, fails, and falls into grace daily.
……Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from Heaven,
Time, opportunity, and guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,
Trust them with Jesus, do the next thing
Do it immediately, do it with prayer;
Do it reliantly, casting all care;
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe ‘neath His wing,
Leave all results, do the next thing.
Looking for Jesus, ever serener,
Working or suffering, be thy demeanor;
In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
The light of His countenance be thy psalm,
Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing.
Then, as He beckons thee, do the next thing.
Old Poem popularized by Elisabeth Elliot
Accept and Rely (receive and rest)
So now what? Our days are full of new challenges. Challenges we did not prepare for, fears we have never faced. My favorite part of the poem is when it says “Do it reliantly, casting all care”. I can try to fight the current of worry surrounding covid-19 on my own, but I will undoubtedly tire and be no good to myself or my loved ones. Or, I can rest and receive grace knowing that the one who controls the sea is good and can be trusted. Not in the sense that He gives me what I want or what is easy, but that He gives me the best. He gives me Himself and promises to use whatever trials or suffering I may encounter to draw me closer to Him.
Fear Not Tomorrow
I’m a planner. I love making plans and dreaming about the future. So when the future suddenly changes and is no longer what I naively view as “predictable”, I scramble. I soak in all the information (aka way too much news) I can, I try to control my life with clinched (super clean) fists, and I have zero rest and comfort for myself and very little to offer my family. But when the gift of faith allows me to trust God with the future it also propels me to joyfully “do the next thing” knowing that He is both good and sovereign in every thing.
Where is Your Hope?
We aren’t meant to carry the burden of worrying about what will happen months or even weeks from now. That’s where I tend to become paralyzed by fear. That’s when I mentally spiral and my energy and purpose as a mother depletes. Our children are watching. If we let the news be the source of our hope and joy every day, what are we telling our children? Yes we plan, yes we seek the guidance and wisdom of experts, and love our neighbor by following that guidance, but we have to show that our hope is not in hand sanitizer or the stock market. Because our Hope is constant and true, we can turn off the news and do the next thing.
What’s Your Next Thing?
So maybe your next thing is simply making that snack, or playing outside. Maybe it’s going to work when most of Americans get to stay isolated at home. Maybe it’s putting on the teacher hat for the next math problem when you barely passed Algebra. Maybe it’s trying to juggle working at home while being surrounded by little ones. Whatever it is, you can do it joyfully, reliantly, and without fear knowing that the same One who conquered sin and death lives to intercede for you and by His spirit supplies you with the power to do what he has called you to do this very day, this exact year, during this specific virus.
Final Thoughts/ Resource List
For those who struggle with anxiety during times of change, these are resources that have helped me greatly.
Whatever amount of time you listen to/read news, match or exceed that time with truth.
- read scripture
- listen to podcasts (my favorites right now are:
- https://www.risenmotherhood.com/podcast
- https://dontmomalone.com/podcast-show/
- listen to worship music: loving Shane and Shane Psalms album
- Talk (zoom/facetime) with friends or family who will speak truth to you.
- follow accounts on social media that encourage others with truth. A few of my go-tos: (instagram)
- https://www.instagram.com/jeanniecunnion/?hl=en
- https://www.instagram.com/raisingboysandgirls/?hl=en (this one has great resources to help parents help their kids cope through this change)
- https://www.instagram.com/sallylloydjones/?hl=en (more resources for kids)
- Exercise or just get outside. Sometimes just seeing the beauty of creation calms my heart and mind.
- Lastly- consider writing a daily thankfulness list, and consider having kids help with making the list. When change happens our awareness of the many blessings that still surround us tend to fade.
I hope this helps in some small way.
