This has been a crazy few weeks! I’ve had a range of emotions as I have watched the COVID-19 (Corona) virus numbers rise and our activities and events cancelled. I wanted to share something that has brought me peace and hope amid all of this. Over the last several months I have had some health problems. I have had to slow down a little and reevaluate the things I am doing. I guess it was good practice for what we are going through now. As I did this, I found myself mourning the person I used to be and the things I used to be able to do. I found that I was worried about my life now and learning how to deal with slowing down. I am a very active, productive person so this has been a hard adjustment for me. The future though is the hardest part. I found myself fearing the future and what the side effects of this health issue might bring. It was hard. In December, sitting in church one Sunday while taking the Sacrament, I opened my Bible. In the back of my Bible is a dictionary that has been composed from words in the Bible. There is a section in the Bible Dictionary that contains the names of Christ. In my scripture study that week I was studying Revelation so I went there to see the names of Christ in that book. There was a name that immediately stood out to me. Usually when I think about the names of Christ I think about names like, Savior or Almighty or Light of the World. This name was different. In Revelation 11:17 Christ is called, “which art, and wast, and art to come.” That stuck out to me because it says He is present, past and future. That is exactly what I had worried about, mourned over, and feared. I immediately remembered all the times in my life that I have felt Christ and his grace. I thought about how I feel Him now in my life getting me through this time. I realized that what I needed to do was let go of the fear of what my future holds, because He will be there too. No matter what happens with my health or with anything else, He will be there to give us the strength we need.
This can apply to any situation. We all go through hard times where we may mourn the past, worry about the present, and fear the future. This can happen with health problems or family problems or work problems…….or even world pandemics! Remembering that Jesus Christ has been with us in the past and is with us now, can help us let go of fear of what is in the future. We can replace that fear with faith and look for the lessons He is trying to teach us. I know I am being taught to slow down a little, to think about what is most important in my life, to re prioritize… This is bringing me peace and joy.
