Today I teared up watching a video of a dog playing with bubbles. I’m not much of a crier, so this was a pretty strange occurrence for me. I think I had that reaction because I’m grieving normal life right now. The past 4 weeks have been very strange and hard, and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. The unknown is one of the things that makes this so hard.
How much longer will we be doing this? Will my family be ok? Will life get back to normal once this is all over? What will be the long-term effects?
If I let it, my mind can quickly weave a tapestry of questions within seconds. If I let it, it will do this repeatedly throughout the day until I’m emotionally spent. This is not how I want to spend my time. I want to keep my mind focused on things that are true, lovely, and of good repute (Phil. 4:8). So how do I do that? Here are a few things that I know will help:
1. Pray.
Prayer shifts my focus, which shifts my thinking. When I’m focused on Jesus and the hope I have in him, the unknowns of this world don’t matter. Believe me when I say that this is a constant battle. In my flesh, I go right back to overthinking, overanalyzing, and worrying. In my flesh, I trust my knowledge, and not my Savior. That’s why I need to pray. I need to repeatedly go back to my Father, because He is in control, and I am not.
2. Spend time in God’s Word.
Reading, studying, and meditating on God’s Word does several things for my heart and mind. It focuses my attention on who God is, what He has done, and what He promises to do. That, in turn, keeps me from focusing on my fears and doubts.
3. Connect with my people.
Spending time with people I love (even if it’s “only” via Zoom) reminds me that the “normal” things of life still exist. It also helps me to focus on someone other than myself, which moves my thoughts away from doubt and fear.
4. Put down the phone.
Sometimes, maybe even oftentimes, too much information is just that-- too much. Scrolling through Facebook may seem innocuous, but the truth is, it fans the flames of my worries. I find myself opening up the app in hopes to find some good news, but all I really find are more questions, and more “information” that fuels my concerns.
God knows what we are going through. He is not surprised by this, nor is He afraid of it. He knows how it will end. He holds the world in His hands. Let’s focus our thoughts on Him instead of our circumstances. Let’s use this opportunity to get to know Him better. Let’s trust Him, today and every day.
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