Sept 9th, 2020: 2020 is the Year of the Rat

According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2020 is the year of the RAT. It also remains popular in many Asian countries, Vietnam included. I don't believe in the description of each of the animals (there are 12 altogether). Just in case you need to know, I was born in the year of the dog. We always consider it as a form of entertainment when we read the descriptions of different animals in the Chinese Zodiac (rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig).

I am going to share with you what it says about the year of the RAT by its description and see how God is telling us about ourselves.

We are in isolation. We don't go out as much as we used to. We only get out because of necessities. In many ways, we are living hiding in our own rat holes because of this pandemic. Rat is always in hiding. So what can we do about it? Well, we can look at it as hiding or as time dedicated to God and other important people in our lives. We learn how to pray more specifically because of what is happening around the world these days. Many of us have also got a chance to be with our children and grandchildren. Hiding from the world doesn't mean hiding from God.

At the beginning of the shutdown, many of us only went out to get food and some necessities. Rats do the same. They don't go out to check the weather and to say hi to their neighbors. So many people have discovered different roadways to visit their friends and families. The Internet Highway has brought many church members together in virtual worship times and prayers. Many churches I know have had record numbers of participants on line. We go out because we need spiritual food for our souls.

As the pandemic continues to drag on and it is getting worse in some countries around the world. We need to prepare for a long haul. People are quietly getting ready for that. We might not be as panic as we were during the toilet paper crisis. However, we have gained some personal resolution to face and fight through this time. Rats learn to store food for the days ahead. We have learned to reserve our energy and emotional reservoir to get ready for an enduring enemy that we don't physically see. We need to know how to depend on our faith in God alone. We continue to go back there for the nourishment of our souls.

As life seems to be getting back to normal slowly, wearing masks and physical distancing continues to be part of life. Restaurants, schools, public venues, and stores have all kinds of safety protocol is to keep us safe. Rats run away whenever they see us. We know what to do when a Covid-19 hot spot occurs. We are either quarantined or isolated. That is a perfect time to gain our intimacy with God. We need to find our own spiritual refuge when things are getting hot again. Remember that God wants to be a member of our herd community.

I have a feeling that many of us could not wait for 2020 to be over. It has been a nightmare for a lot of people. None of us have a 20/20 vision this year, and that has been agony. Lets us pray that 2021 will bring about strength, reliability, inspiration, calmness, patience, and confidence as we look forward to the future. 

Jeremiah 29:11 
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."


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