Feb 1st, 2021: What Have I Learned?

With coronavirus still rocking, reopening states are rolling blindly

It seems to be unreal that we have been dealing with Coronavirus for almost a year now. I returned from Montreal on March 21st last year at the beginning of the initial lockdown. Before leaving I was watching the Prime Minister's press briefing from the hospital where my father was staying at the time. The airport in Montreal and Toronto were pretty quiet during my trip home. I sat next to a young man who just returned from Egypt during the flight between Toronto and Calgary. He mentioned to me that he was visiting a town that had the highest rate of Covid-19 infection in Egypt at the time. I had no idea what to say and what to do; except pray. It was a long flight indeed.


My father passed away last November when Covid-19 was still raging in Montreal. We experienced all of the heartache and emotional pains for not being able to be with him due to many restrictions. He contracted Covid-19 but didn't die from it. Many seniors died in his nursing home because of it though. The funeral was not something we thought it would be and should be. 


We have family members who also got sick because of the virus. Some recovered better than others. So we, as a family, don't talk about this pandemic without having some personal experience. Some of our family members suffered from other consequences because of Covid-19. Some experienced the impact in their family life and relationships. Work and business have been interrupted.  


During these months, I continued to focus on what I believe as my calling. Covid-19 will not stop me from caring for those God has given in my life. I have learned different aspects of God over and over again.

 

It does not take a long time to see that God is still with us during this time in big things and little things of life.

 
When we allow God to be at the center of how we see one another, we can do amazing things.

We will learn to have different perspectives of suffering when we are confident that God also suffers for us and with us.

When we are in doubt, don't trust the voice of untrustworthy leaders. Depend on our personal experience with God and our daily encounter with Him.

Deep joy and intense suffering co-exist when we attempt to live with both the known and unknown parts in our journey of life.


Isaiah 43: 2

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."

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