Kingdom Calling Blog…

So, I’ve been reflecting on the current situation that is going on in the world, the pandemic that is the Coronavirus.

Now I’m not in any way trying to belittle the severity of the situation or the impact it may have had/be having on families, businesses, the economy and such like but I’ve realised that we do have a choice to make on how we react to it.

I see and hear panic and anxiety all around me and people doing crazy things to stock up on supplies with a siege like mentality and as I was picking up a few bits at my local supermarket I was shocked to see the shelves empty at different points and I must admit I stood there in disbelief to be honest. Cleaning products and toilet roll aisles stripped of supplies!

Wow we are quite clearly living in a state of panic, almost hysteria!

Don’t get me wrong I have listened to news reports (not obsessively) and you will be glad to know I am taking advice about washing my hands for longer and being more thorough with the recommended soap and hot water, but I refuse to live in fear about the current situation.

The thing is, as a follower of Christ I have walked through some tough times in life and I realised today (thanks Facebook memories) that it is two years since the Lovely Mr B got the all clear from throat cancer, and I can’t imagine anything being scarier than walking that journey out again.

I have loved this man for over half my life and the thought of him not being around daily to hang out and have fun with is a far scarier thought for me than the Coronavirus if I’m honest.

When we got the diagnosis of cancer it was one of those moments in life (when you get handed the lemons) that we had a choice to make in that moment, sat in the doctors surgery, unprepared for what he was about to say to us. Without any discussion between us we looked at each other and we both knew what it was going to be.

We could quite easily have given in to fear and started to panic, which would have been understandable in those circumstances as the word cancer does have a somewhat terrifying reputation to intimidate and cause fear and anxiety but…

We went for the other option (using the lemons to make something we love-G and T) and decided to trust God and not give in to fear but to give it to Him. We made the decision and we stood by it at all costs, at every point on the journey, even in the moments when things got super scary along the way with infections, temperatures, blood clots, financial implications, weight loss that almost led to a feeding tube and more.

We decided to put all our proverbial eggs in one basket and that basket, if you like, was the loving, protective arms of our Father God who quite literally held us fast. We clung to Him like limpets on a rock and refused to let go, even for a minute.

The reward we discovered, in doing this clinging to Him, was that we actually experienced so much joy though that season, yes joy! It was a supernatural joy that wasn’t dependant on our circumstances (which were somewhat shoddy to say the least) but linked to an eternal perspective of the life we could enjoy now and the one we will live in eternity with Papa God.

It gave us the opportunity, much like the current climate, to set the tone for those around us, including our four fab kids who were definitely watching us closely to see if we were panicking and whether they needed to, and we kept filling them with faith and hope for the future, whatever that would look like.

You see the bible tells us that,

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Tim 1:7

This was a moment when the proverbial rubber hit the road and we chose to live by that truth. I’m not saying by the way, that we never experienced any worry or that the enemy didn’t try to come and steal our joy (which is his mandate) by whispering lies to us, but we chose to keep batting them away. I became a gold medallist at batting them away as they came calling, even if I do say so myself (and sport has never been my thing).

The reality you see is that God is bigger than any problem or worry we can face in life. If we always keep our eyes fixed on Him, He gives us our peace, even in times of fear and worry. The peace of God is like nothing else and must be experienced to believe it. It is so powerful and gives those around you such a clear and beautiful picture of what God looks like.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:7

So, today if you are feeling anxious and worried about what is going on in the world, I highly recommend you cast all your cares on Him.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

He is the rock you can stand on and He will not let you down because it’s not in His nature. He is faithful, it’s who He is and He’s a good, good father. As you walk your life out with Him he shows you this in the little daily things that you think He might not even notice, but He does and it builds your faith in Him. Then when the big things come, the storms, the lemons in life (and they always do), you have a foundation of trust in Him and you can take those lemons and enjoy a G and T.

I love this song by Guvna B ‘Cast your Cares‘-enjoy!