Calming the Corona Chaos

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33

This is not our family’s first lock-down rodeo. We have lived through a number of crazy epidemics in Haiti. I had cholera. My husband had Chikungunya. We may or may not have both had Zika. Thankfully we are still here to tell our tales, and we learned a great deal going through multiple epidemic phases. Never had I ever thought that these life lessons would be so critical and practical in our first six months of transition to life back in the states. Nevertheless, the things we have walked through may be helpful for you and your family as we all go through this pandemic crisis together. We do not consider ourselves experts, but we are willing to share from experience some lessons we learned as our lives have been uprooted over and over again.

We can learn a multitude of survival skills from our brothers and sisters in living in third world countries. The Haitian people I have lived and worked with are some of the strongest, hardest working, most faithful and practical people I know.  I did life alongside them through epidemics, natural disasters, and seasons of turbulent uncertainty.  I had the honor of watching and learning from their reactions and thought processes while disasters were striking.  Unfortunately, I had this honor more times than my ptsd would have liked, but nonetheless, their spiritual worldview and correctly placed priorities amazed me and drew me closer to God.

I would love to share one of these lessons with you today, because I feel it is so applicable to the current pandemic.  This lesson from our Haitian brothers and sisters will help us keep God in His rightful place and honor Him through whatever comes our way.  It is actually just one simple phrase.  A phrase that has been so profound in my life, we made a shirt out of it @giftofhopehaiti.  The saying is this:

“Si Bondye vle”
“If God wills”

Picture yourself with me in Haiti.  The air smells of something burning in the distance, goats are bleating loudly on the other side of our compound wall, and the sun is just about to set, displaying the handiwork of our Creator over the beautiful Caribbean waters.  Our staff members at Haiti Foundation Against Poverty are about to change shifts, and as the afternoon nannies head out the gate we call to them, “See you tomorrow!” And they all respond “Si Bondye vle!”  You see, they understand Who holds tomorrow and they acknowledge His will over every plan they make. 

“I’ll see you on Sunday, si Bondye vle.”
“I’ll work on that tomorrow, si Bondye vle.”
“I’m going to the states next week, si Bondye vle.” 

I don’t know if you are anything like me, but I love having a good plan.  I love the process of preparing for something, mostly because I’m comfortable being in control.  But am I really?  Are any of us really in control?  We say we will see each other on Sunday, or that we are going on vacation, or that we will get that next item checked off the to-do list tomorrow, but how often do we stop to acknowledge that we aren’t actually in control of any of it?  “Si Bondye vle” doesn’t mean we stop making plans, it simply adds perspective to our planning and keeps God in His rightful place as Lord of our lives. 

We will go on Spring Break, if God wills. 
We will see each other next Sunday, if God wills. 
We will finish our project tomorrow, if God wills.

It is times like these, that bring us to our knees, and helps us remember that we are not in control.  Praise be to the Lord Almighty that we can serve the God who IS. 

Did God want Coronavirus for us?  No, he wanted Eden.  We messed that up a long, long time ago, and yet He relentlessly pursues our hearts and gave us a path to redemption so we could still live in relationship with Him!  That’s what the cross meant.  That’s why the tomb is empty!  Coronavirus ain’t got nothin’ on an empty tomb.  Say it with me! Coronavirus ain’t got nothin’ on an empty tomb!

So my dear friends, let us take a moment to learn from our brothers and sisters in Haiti as we remind ourselves that we are not in control, but that we serve the God who is.  Coronavirus can’t take that away from us. 

What if we used these next few weeks as an opportunity we probably would have never willingly taken on our own.  An opportunity to clear our schedules and seek His face. An opportunity to pray for the heart of our nation.  An opportunity to pray for the heart of the Church. An opportunity for Kingdom growth in our families and in our communities. What if after the Coronavirus passes, the headlines had no choice but to read; “Revival sweeps across the nations as Coronavirus quarantines lift”, “Coronavirus aftermath sparks spiritual fires across the Church”, and “Christianity spreads at a greater rate than the Coronavirus".

I will be releasing a 7-day devotional called “Calming the Corona Chaos” on Monday morning. I would love to spend seven days with you next week, seeking our Father’s face and enjoying His perfect power and presence. If you would like to take this journey together, please take a moment to subscribe to this blog. The devotional ebook will be emailed to you to download on Monday morning, March 16th.

Call me a dreamer, but I believe with God all things are possible.  I cannot wait to spend this Corona quarantine with you and our Creator! Perhaps we were meant for a time such as this. 

His Kingdom come, His will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.