And he sighed deeply in his spirit....
12 years ago, there was an economic crunch, the economy had been going great guns, moving upward quickly...people were spending right and left, the Stock market was great, businesses were booming ...then thunk...overnight it seemed everything dropped, a “course correction”...panic ensued, bankruptcies sky rocketed...
This happens every few years...I can’t explain it or why it happens, but am sure there are a lot of theories, reasons why...
The government will enact new measures to assure it doesn’t happen again...we grow through the times and move forward...a cycle waiting for another upswing and downfall....
and it is happening again...this time, an unseen, foreboding, virus 🦠, spreading insidiously throughout the world...causing chaos in the medical fields, hospitals, the market place, government, education, life, fearfulness to be around others...people are dying by the thousands, people are living by the thousands as well...panic again as we can’t see and fight an “enemy” that shows itself for all to see.
Things happen...12 years ago, I remember asking my husband, “should we sell the house, how are we going to live, on what, what should we do?”
He calmly hugged me, reminding me gently that God had provided in the past, He would provide again as we needed....just remember the times before...
This time around through the “pandemic”, I don’t have my husband to gently hug me again...( I can’t even get with 6 feet of someone)...But that gentle Spirit is still there, truthfully reminding me to remember, to understand the provision that He faithfully gives...He has taken care of us in the past and will provide now as well...thank YOU for that gentle hug, generously taking care of me ...reminding me of Your faithfulness...
He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.”
Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied. 20 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.” He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
Mark 8:12,17-21
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:16-21
A post I received...to share...
Hope this post finds all of you doing well! Everyone here is doing fine, and in light of this week I thought it would be a appropriate to share this new poem by Kristi Bothur, titled “How the Virus Stole Easter”. With a nod to Dr. Seuss, here it is . . .
“Twas late in ‘19 when the virus began
Bringing chaos and fear to all people, each land.
People were sick, hospitals full,
Doctors overwhelmed, no one in school.
As winter gave way to the promise of spring,
The virus raged on, touching peasant and king.
People hid in their homes from the enemy unseen.
They YouTubed and Zoomed, social-distanced, and cleaned.
April approached and churches were closed.
“There won’t be an Easter,” the world supposed.
“There won’t be church services, and egg hunts are out.
No reason for new dresses when we can’t go about.”
Holy Week started, as bleak as the rest.
The world was focused on masks and on tests.
“Easter can’t happen this year,” it proclaimed.
“Online and at home, it just won’t be the same.”
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the days came and went.
The virus pressed on; it just would not relent.
The world woke Sunday and nothing had changed.
The virus still menaced, the people, estranged.
“Pooh pooh to the saints,” the world was grumbling.
“They’re finding out now that no Easter is coming.
“They’re just waking up! We know just what they’ll do!
Their mouths will hang open a minute or two,
And then all the saints will all cry boo-hoo.
“That noise,” said the world, “will be something to hear.”
So it paused and the world put a hand to its ear.
And it did hear a sound coming through all the skies.
It started down low, then it started to rise.
But the sound wasn’t depressed.
Why, this sound was triumphant!
It couldn’t be so!
But it grew with abundance!
And the world with its life quite stuck in quarantine
Stood puzzling and puzzling.
“Just how can it be?”
“It came without bonnets, it came without bunnies,
It came without egg hunts, cantatas, or money.”
Then the world thought of something it hadn’t before.
“Maybe Easter,” it thought, “doesn’t come from a store.
Maybe Easter, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
And what happened then?
Well….the story’s not done.
What will YOU do?
Will you share with that one
Or two or more people needing hope in this night?
Will you share the source of your life in this fight?
The churches are empty – but so is the tomb,
And Jesus is victor over death, doom, and gloom.
So this year at Easter, let this be our prayer,
As virus still rages all around, everywhere.
May the world see hope when it looks at God’s people.
May the world see the church is not a building or steeple.
May the world find Faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection,
May the world find Joy in a time of dejection.
May 2020 be known as the year of survival,
But not only that –
Let it start a revival.”
