The Robin Couple
This spring, I had been watching a “robin couple”, who build their nest atop the lamp fixture by our front door. They were quite busy bringing the right twigs and feathers and plastering them together. Then the mama bird laid eggs. The couple took turns to sit on top of the eggs. To give them peace of mind, my family tried not to open the front door too much. Spring is my favourite season. There is so much action in nature! With frequent rains that water the earth, we see the trees budding, flowers and shrubs blooming. The grass looks so bright and fresh; even a weed like the dandelion looks so pretty on its best day! This reminds me of what Jesus said: “Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these” (Mathew 6.29).
Pandemic COVID-19
Though all the dangers associated with COVID-19 seemed overwhelming, I found peace by enjoying the beautiful nature that was unfolding around me. It made me wonder if the rest of God’s creation was affected by this virus, but it didn’t appear so at all! The birds, animals, trees, plants and all other creatures seemed to be thriving. I heard news reports that the earth was in fact healing, as there were lesser emissions and pollution. Only humanity, the supreme of all God’s creation seemed to be affected. The more I thought about it, the more I felt that humanity was being given a timeout by our Heavenly Father!
Break Up Your Fallow Ground
Timeout is a disciplinary action taken by parents when their kids misbehave. During a timeout, the kids are stripped of any fun activities and they are asked to stay indoors and reflect on their actions. In the same way, because of the lockdown, it felt like the entire humanity, irrespective of colour, race, education or social status, had been given a timeout. Was this a blessing in disguise, in that it gave us an opportunity to reflect on our relationship with God, our neighbours and the rest of creation? “Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, that He may come and rain righteousness upon you” (Hosea 10:12).
Let us examine our lives and assess our relationship with God. If it has been a shallow relationship, this is the chance to go deeper. Ask the question, why did God make me? I remember what I learned in my religious classes, God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him. Are we doing that to the best of our ability? If not, let us grab this opportunity of being under lockdown, where our social life and many other distractions are removed. Let us also examine our relationship with our neighbors, friends and family. If things need to be repaired, this is a great time to do it! The Gospel of Mathew 6:25- 34 is very relevant in today’s world. Jesus repeatedly says, “Do not worry”. This seems to be ambitious, especially when the majority of the human race is overcome with fear and anxiety. Yet we need to trust in His words if they are to bear fruit in us. The same Lord who created us in His own image and likeness knows what’s best for each one of us: “For surely, I know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not harm; plans to bring you a future full of hope” (Jeremiah 29.11).
A Path in the Desert
One of my friends recently told me a wonderful story of how God acted in her life during the pandemic. When she was hired to work for the government sector a year ago, her starting her job with utmost sincerity. After a year, her boss called her to offer her a promotion along with an awesome salary increase. According to her boss, no one in the company had ever been promoted within the first year of their employment. Further, this happened during this pandemic, when it was next to impossible to have any promotion files moved!
Our God works in mysterious ways but at the most opportune time. As for us, we need to get into that personal relationship with our Abba Father and trust that He knows what’s best for us.
By Geenu Kunnengode,USA