A DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT
by Lois Coady
Did you enjoy a good roller coaster ride when you were a kid? I sure did! I remember feeling the wheels grinding and hearing the chain chattering as they pulled the coaster up, up, up to the very top of the track high above the ground. Then there was a brief pause, a jerk and suddenly the coaster was off careening down the track at the speed of light with passengers (me included) squealing at the top of our voices, hands up in the air and hair of all lengths blown back taut as the wind raced by. Moments later, the wheels would grind and the chain would chatter as the coaster again went up, up, up to the very top, high above the ground, for another round of “death defying” glee. Remember?
This pandemic reminds me of that roller coaster ride. We were all shocked to learn in mid-March that we were facing the unknowns of a new virus that appeared to be highly contagious. As we neared the end of March, our lives were turned upside down when the whole state was locked down to stop the spread. As scientists began working on a vaccine and infectious disease experts struggled to learn more about this new virus, we suddenly found ourselves completely cut off from our families, friends and life as we knew it. No church to go to, no school, no restaurants, no personal care options, the list went on and on.
But then, after many weeks, a glimmer of hope. A brief pause. The infection curve flattened. Things began to reopen and we began to resume some degree of normalcy, but cautioned to wear masks, distance ourselves from each other and wash our hands frequently. But the virus was smarter than we were. Human nature and the feeling that we are somehow above the rules caused many to let their guard down and we saw a resurgence of the virus. Hundreds of thousands infected state wide. A death rate that keeps climbing up, up, up. Now, a second wave of closures and restrictions. No church to go to, no consensus about school, no dine-in at restaurants, no personal care options. Down, down, down.
I don’t know about you, but I have found this very discouraging. It was so nice to begin feeling somewhat “normal” again only to have that taken away a second time. Screaming and throwing my hands up in the air is what I wanted to do. But wait, where is God in all of this?
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and
lean not on your own understanding,
in all your ways acknowledge him, and
he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
You know, He is right where He has always been—with us. Fully aware. Fully in control. Fully available. All I need to do is come to Him. Not try to figure out what the future holds, but trust Him. He will keep His promise. He is in the roller coaster with us and He will make our path into the future straight. Amen!
