Keep The Faith
Why am I not afraid of COVID-19? That's a good question. I had to think back to my childhood
to come up with an answer. Having grown up with an alcoholic, drug addicted stepfather, it's possible my fear subsided through the years because of the violence in my home. The circumstances caused me to cling to a higher power. Sharing this is not for sympathy. It's just the way it was.
Many nights my stepfather would pull out his gun and threaten to use it on my family. Several times we would flee our house for safety. The last time I remember him lying on the couch, waving his gun, and cussing, I hurried upstairs to check on my brother. I didn't want a repeat of the time he hid in the dirty clothes hamper and couldn't run away. The two of us went into my room. I proceeded to open the window and take down the screen. After putting it under my bed, I pulled the window shade down as a precaution. When I heard my mother in the hall, I reached out and pulled her toward me into the room and said, "Come in here, we need to leave." After explaining to her what I thought we should do, she agreed. The three of us climbed out the window onto the porch roof and slid down the post to the ground. Quietly we left the neighborhood.
Now that might not seem life threatening to you, but to a child it did. Perhaps you're asking yourself, what does that have to do with COVID-19. If a child can conquer fear with God's help, anyone can. Thanks to the teaching of my Christian grandparents, I learned to trust God. I also learned to be proactive and to know He's in control.
We shouldn't live in fear each day and night.
Keep the faith that it will soon go away.
"And He said unto them, why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?" (Mark 4:40 KJV)
Many nights my stepfather would pull out his gun and threaten to use it on my family. Several times we would flee our house for safety. The last time I remember him lying on the couch, waving his gun, and cussing, I hurried upstairs to check on my brother. I didn't want a repeat of the time he hid in the dirty clothes hamper and couldn't run away. The two of us went into my room. I proceeded to open the window and take down the screen. After putting it under my bed, I pulled the window shade down as a precaution. When I heard my mother in the hall, I reached out and pulled her toward me into the room and said, "Come in here, we need to leave." After explaining to her what I thought we should do, she agreed. The three of us climbed out the window onto the porch roof and slid down the post to the ground. Quietly we left the neighborhood.
Now that might not seem life threatening to you, but to a child it did. Perhaps you're asking yourself, what does that have to do with COVID-19. If a child can conquer fear with God's help, anyone can. Thanks to the teaching of my Christian grandparents, I learned to trust God. I also learned to be proactive and to know He's in control.
Oh, by the way, as an adult, I forgave my stepfather even though I never told him. After forgiving him, I felt free. A week later he died.
Keep The Faith
The turmoil COVID-19 caused just isn't right.
We shouldn't live in fear each day and night.
People run about gathering all that they can.
They take things home with a greedy hand.
It's hard to run from something in the air.
Don't they know there's no need for despair?
Gods in control for what happens on earth.
He has been long before each person's birth.
Hope for the best and pray it won't stay.
Keep the faith that it will soon go away.
Patricia Westbook
"And He said unto them, why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?" (Mark 4:40 KJV)
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