It happened when I was watching my beloved Indiana Hoosiers on TV. They were playing in the Big 10 tournament, which ended up being the last game where fans were allowed. As we watched, a notification flashed across the screen that the NBA had suspended the season. What? Things were really getting weird.
Yes, the Hoosiers won the game, but did they get to go to the “Big Dance?” No! There wouldn’t be an NCAA tournament. No March Madness.
That is the moment that the line from the REM song popped in my head, “It’s the end of the world as we know it.” Most of what we know to be true and normal is not, right now. Things have changed. I cannot go to work and see “my kids,” cannot go out to eat, to the movies, or visit with friends. I can no longer drop into the grocery store and expect to find the things I need. I cannot visit my mom and dad, as they are 82, because I could put their lives in danger. So many things we took for granted are no longer possible.
But what is always true is that we have an awesome God who loves us. As a friend pointed out yesterday, God has given us many gifts to stay connected through this time with technology. A few short years ago, we would not have been able to stay in contact the way we can, now. There wouldn’t have been worship services online, virtual meetings, virtual classrooms, Facetime, or otherwise. Talk about isolation!
I miss human contact. I especially miss going to Lord of Life Christian Preschool (LOLCP) every day and getting hugs from my kids. But I am a firm believer that something good always comes out of tragedy. Maybe this is an opportunity for us to refocus on God. These can be days for us to spend more time with our families and slow down. I know that with more time on my hands, I have read my Bible more and definitely prayed more. I am looking for God’s lessons in this. Although the world around us is changing and may never be the same as it was before, I’m finding peace in the reassurance that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
Most experts say that the illness and situation in our area is going to get worse before it gets better. People will lose their lives and their jobs. There will be a new normal. It may be the end of the world as we know it, but we are going to emerge from this into a new and better world, hopefully filled with more kindness and love for others. God promises to be with us as we head into the uncertain days ahead. “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.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
Blessings and hope,
Paula Drake, Preschool Director