听
For those of you, my readers, who are not acquainted with the Upper Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, we live in a relatively small but isolated community. It鈥檚 beautiful almost beyond description with ocean views out front of our home and lush forests behind us. As an added bonus, we鈥檙e technically accessible only by plane or by boat. Yes, people drive up from the Vancouver mainland or cross over from Vancouver Island but both those options require several ferry trips. Why do I say all this? Simply to explain why I鈥檝e felt relatively immune to a lot of things, including COVID-19; I鈥檝e enjoyed a mostly relaxed attitude of safety and I put that down to faith.
Unexpectedly hearing that perhaps our community had been affected/infected instantly changed my upcoming plans along with my complacent attitude. Perhaps we weren鈥檛 immune after all; perhaps, my circumstance-inspired faith wasn鈥檛 valid. I quickly realized that fear threatened to overcome my emotions. Circumstances now dominated faith.
I know I鈥檓 not alone in wrestling with feelings during this time and I freely confess that. The reason I鈥檓 writing this story, however, is to share the realization that in some matters I was basing my trust in what was going on around me rather than in what God has promised. No, He hasn鈥檛 promised immunity from trouble but He has promised to be with us in every part of our life. Let鈥檚 allow faith to rise from the ashes of fear as we proclaim with the psalmist David, 鈥淲hen I am afraid, I will trust in You.鈥� (Psalm 56:3, 11)
No one knew better than David, what it meant to live with the spectre of death but neither did anyone else know more the comforting presence brought about by his deep faith in God.
So can we. Amen.
