My time living with COVID-19 so far, and how I have been able deal with it

 
By Richard James Ford
Sydney-Australia
September 19, 2021
 


I was asked by some of my friends, “Richard, how are you coping with the COVID-19?” This prompted me to write another article that I hope will inspire or give someone a sense of hope in ways on how to cope with these uncertain times.

First thing I want to say is this, this COVID-19 is real, there is no conspiracy theory, this is not a joke, as people are dying and suffering, no Government in the world, especially here in Australia would dream up the Pandemic.

We only need to look back to the 1918 “Spanish Flu” Epidemic and others to know it is a reality in history. An unthinkable 50 to 100 million people worldwide died from the 1918-1919, with the flu pandemic  becoming known as the “Spanish Flu.” It was the deadliest global pandemic since the Black Death, and became rare among other flu viruses for it also struck down the young and healthy alike, often within days of showing first symptoms. What’s even more remarkable about the 1918 flu is that it never really went away. After infecting an estimated 500 million people worldwide in 1918 and 1919 (a third of the global population), the H1N1 strain that caused the Spanish flu receded into the background and stuck around as the regular seasonal flu. It was not completely really slowed down worldwide until 1926.

Quoted from - 99.9% removed, of which I am grateful for God’s mercy, so really death should be expected at any time, as we live in a sinful and fallen world. What does the virus have to do with my point on death? For it certainly does not make it more frequent; 100 per cent of us die, and the percentage cannot be increased. Yet the virus does do something to death. It forces us to remember that death for us all is real to us: and that would have been regarded as one of its blessings by most of the great Christians of the past. They thought it was good for us to be always aware of our mortality. I am inclined to think they were and still are right.

“All of the life in us, all schemes of happiness that has been so central in our own little world, were always doomed to be frustrated. In ordinary times only a wise man can realise it to be true. Now even the stupidest of us should know that. We all can see unmistakably the sort of universe in which we have all along been living in and must all come to terms with. If we had any foolish un-Christian hopes about human culture, we can see they have now been shattered by the COVID-19.”

To me it’s time we recognize the multiple lessons and blessings from Covid. From this growing national tragedy, we can emerge wiser and stronger if we take a hard look at ourselves and see what we can learn from these troubled times. Our world is battered by darkness, and one wonders what can be done to bring light and hope. For it is only our daily bread that we are encouraged to ask for. The present is the only time in which any duty we are to do can be done or any grace will be received. Steven Lawson of Ligonier Ministries said, “The heart of the problem is the problem of the human heart.” Renewing Your Mind Podcast, see -renewingyourmind.org/2021/09/16/mans-sin-in-the-synoptics.

The effects of the virus will eventually die down, but not until after causing giant damage. And either this one will mutate and continue to cause problems, or another will arise in the foreseeable future–and it may be far, far more deadly than this one. Too many people have forgotten that the common good is also the individual good. When we cannot be good to one another collectively, we cannot be good to ourselves individually. The only way to get through all of this is to pull together. That means all of us will pay some cost, mostly in the effective use of facemasks, clean hands, social distancing from each other and above all become double vaccinated. It’s not that hard. But apparently, such a thing cannot be done. For we appear to be a nation of unbelievably selfish people. No matter where we are in life, we have been forced to slow down due to lockdowns and other restrictions. Slowing down is often not something we do naturally, but it can be very beneficial to our marriages, family lives, and friendships.

God can and does use all things, even deadly pandemics like COVID-19, to bring about good things; beautiful things that give us renewed hope. For there are times when the world seems so chaotic that we don’t know how to pray or make sense of it all. God’s Word reminds us, Romans 8:26-27“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (ESV)

Having said all this is what I have experiences and learnt.

1. We need to focus more on what’s important.   It has forced me to slow down and see things that I wouldn’t normally see or appreciate, it is forcing me to prioritize and remember what’s truly important in life.

2. That God is speaking louder to us.  Because of the removal of distractions, for me God has brought His Word out loud and clear, spoken in song and on social media.

3. We need to be reconnecting with family.  Being forced to stay at home, I have been able to reconnect with family in meaningful ways, because I now have time to do that.

4. Have better and greater interactions with neighbors.  A famous command by Jesus is to love your neighbor as yourself ( Matthew 22:39 ). But since most of us live life on the go, most of us have not found any meaningful time to interact with our neighbors.

5. Find our rest in God.  Whether by choice or not, I have found the benefits of slowing down and finding the rest that only comes in God

For in Hebrews 10:23-25 , we are told this: “And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy. And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near.” (NIV)  

So, while we may complain about not finding toilet paper in the supermarket or not being able to eat out in the club, it brings me back to what is really important in life and how other parts of the world live differently and find joy, no matter their situation, like my family in the Philippines, which I know many of the readers can personally relate to as a way of life.

The apostle Paul modeled on how to handle involuntary seclusion. In Philippians 4:11-13 he said this,  ^“ I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.   I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (NIV)

In retrospect, over the past twenty-one (21) months, I have realized one of the most significant lessons I have learnt so far is this, not to take life for granted . So, it is my wish that we will all come out of this Pandemic richer and not poorer for it, in that, we have learned to put others before self, to be kinder and more loving towards one another. God Bless.

By Richard James Ford -Independent Journalist with Filpresssyd.