With all that’s going on in the country and close to home with the current COVID-19 virus I am reflecting back on previous moments in life where there was fear among our nation. Here in Washington state the virus seems to be spreading faster than in other parts of the country and fear is definitely playing a role in our emotions. In 1999 my word of the year was Believe. This was also the year of the Y2K. Fear and uncertainty spread as the population braced themselves for impending disaster. As the year progressed news stations filled with experts talking of food shortages, market crashes, and riots. Pure chaos. During this time I prayed for protection, I wrote in my journal of my prayers, and my choice to believe in all of God’s promises. I spent my year working on strengthening my faith and ended the year with a strong foundation and trust in Gods plans. I am not a health care professional and I don’t know what’s to come with this virus, but I am in charge of choosing to believe in the face of fear.

In a book by C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed, written while he was grieving the death of his wife, Lewis wrote, “You never know how much you really believe in anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you. It is easy to say you believe a rope to be strong and sound as long as you are merely using it to cord a box. But suppose you had to hang by that rope over a precipice. Wouldn’t you then first discover how much you really trusted it?” Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief.

Even though I am taking precautions with the latest virus and am doing my best to follow all of the recommended advice such as hand washing and distancing from large events. I am choosing to believe in God’s will for my life. He will take us where he wants to go. I don’t want to be fearful and wonder what God’s plan is. It will come to us and unfold over time. Each day we must do what is at hand and be faithful in the small things.