My enemies without cause. hunted me down like a bird.
They silenced my life in the pit and threw stones at me.
The waters flowed over my head;
I said, “I am cut off!”
I called on Your name, O Lord, from the lowest pit.
You have heard my voice: “Do not hide Your ear
From my sighing, from my cry for help.”
You drew near on the day I called on You, and said, “Do not fear!”
O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul;
You have redeemed my life.
Lamentations 3:52-58
My four year old daughter tested positive for Covid last week, making her the first person in our family that we know of to actually have the virus. From all the different stories I have been told, having a four year old in quarantine is a little different than someone that is older. It’s a little hard to tell a four year old to camp out alone in their room for 10 days with no human interaction so we can all get back to life. Not only were we not able to make it 10 days, but minutes after she tested positive she was wiping her nose on my shirt and coughing in my face.
As I have grown older, I am thankful for how God has allowed me to see His goodness in all situations and moments. I feel like my mind goes towards God when hearing a song, on vacation, or spending time with family. Quarantine with my daughter was no different and didn’t lack His revelation of His goodness by any stretch.
I am an early riser and Lila is usually the first one up with me each day. One day early into her being sick, she came down the stairs with a fever and could not stop coughing. She was not feeling well, tired, and came looking for her father to hold her.
This is where I saw God.
My daughter did not know how contagious she was. She didn’t grasp how many days I would be off work or her siblings would be out of school. She had no desire to argue about whether or not masks should be worn or if vaccinations were the government’s attempt to brain wash us. No one had told my four year old that there wasn’t anyone on the planet that would want to be within 10 feet from her, let alone hold her.
All she knew was that she needed help, to be held, to be comforted, and that her father would be more than happy to do so.
My daughter came to me before the sun rose, climbed in my lap, fever and all, and rested in my arms. I was more than happy to hold her.
For most, we have felt like Jeremiah in Lamentations. We have seen the “lowest pit.” We know defeat, despair, and desperate need. Truth is, there are many who would not want to be 10 feet from you if they really knew all that you had done…..who you really are. We are sick people. We are sinners in need of a father’s comfort.
The good news of God the Father is that He is not worried how contagious our life is. God is not hiding or keeping His distance. Not only is our Heavenly Father able to hold us in our worst moments, He actually calls us to come to Him so that He can!!
This pandemic has shown us many things about ourselves and what’s important. It has brought to life our weaknesses and what is stable. In the midst of it all is our Father with His arms open. Our Father’s arms were open before COVID, during our struggle as a nation and world now, and will be after this whole pandemic is over. My plead to you is to run to the Father for He cares for His sheep and knows how to take good care of us.
Blessings,
