Blog

(edited due to space limitations)

It felt like a weird dream walking into the airport and joining the masses of people wearing masks to protect themselves from the virus. In January, these masses knew next to nothing about the virus except that it made some very sick, killed others, and was spreading like wild fire fueled by strong wind.

We, on our way back from a brief vacation in another country, received news that our friends would no longer be coming to visit. While we knew that was for the best, the news felt like a knife to the heart. We longed to see familiar faces, for communion with people who understand what it is like to do life in a different country. We decided that trust was the appropriate response. He understands this longing, He knows the struggle, and ultimately, He knows best! He is sufficient for such a time as this. Trust – easier said than done. At that time, we had been given the option to stay or return home. Prayerfully we decided that God brought us here and He was calling us to stay where we are, little did we know that it would last this long! Trust...

Given the circumstances, we thoroughly enjoyed the first two weeks of isolation, mostly because we had been so physically and emotionally exhausted from working at our school and had not taken the time to unwind since the national holiday in October. We took that opportunity and called it our two-week Sabbath. We allowed our bodies to sleep-in, we listened to podcasts, ate delicious home-cooked meals, read our Bibles, and prayed. It was truly a refreshing time. I understand that most people reading this may find it very odd that we enjoyed our time at home, but as Christians we believed that we had nothing to worry about. One of the scriptures that has been so dear to our hearts over the years declares, “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 NKJV). Amidst the chaos, we allowed the truth of his promise to wash over us and comfort our hearts. Though the world seemed to spiral into chaos and fear, we remained like “the tree planted by the stream of water that yields it’s fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither” (Psalm 1:3). His Word established us, and we knew that not one thing would happen that is beyond His control, we are secure in His loving embrace. Feeling such eternal security helped us not to have any fear of what might happen to our physical bodies but focus our eyes on the “Holy One” (Isaiah 31:1).

Week three, reality check. While we were loving time off and were fully engaged in pursuing the Lord the enemy took notice. We became flogged with the spirit of laziness and all the temptations that associate themselves with this abomination. Watching movies, scrolling through Instagram and watching way too many cat videos had become a huge draw in our day to day life. Even given the fact that we started teaching online classes, it was easy to find time to waste. As the Lord was watching over us, He quickly revealed these areas of weakness and called us out of them, to repentance. We had not been called to waste time with the things of this world but to discern the times and grow in the knowledge of Christ. Like a breath of fresh air, a renewed sense of our calling made its way into our hearts and we turned to the Lord in prayer and fasting. Refocused, we continued to pursue the Lord and He was faithful to us in the following weeks.

It is surreal to consider that we have been in isolation/quarantine for two months now. We are slowly adjusting to our new “normal”. We keep hoping and praying that things will go back to the way they were, but the more we pray about it the more God has been renewing our minds (Romans 12:1-2) with His words and changing the way we go about our lives. It is not about the situation or trials we find ourselves in, it is about who God is and who He is molding us to be.