During this stressful time, it might be difficult to see the proverbial silver lining in any situation. But clouds do have silver linings; dark nights give way to glorious sunrise, and sorrow gives way to joy. Psalm 30: 5 says, “weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
We are all impacted by the coronavirus pandemic now sweeping the world. In the US, which now has the highest number of cases, the death toll has already climbed to 40,000. If you have been infected with the virus or have lost a loved one to it, my heart goes out to you. There is nothing I can say that will bring your loved one back, but know this, there is a silver lining.
You may be out of work as a result of this and you don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but for the first time in months, you are at home with your kids. You play games, talk, laugh, bake cookies and connect on a level you were not able to do when things were normal. You now have time to exercise, indoors or outdoors, cook healthy meals instead of picking up some burgers from the drive thru. And even though you don’t realize it, this enforced stay-at-home is preparing you for the changes you can make in your life when the lockdown ends.
So, right now it’s okay to feel sad, hopeless, even angry, but don’t stay in that place too long. Try to look at the bigger picture. Try to visualize a life after COVID-19. A life of freedom, opportunity, and hope. Most of all, try to see God’s hand in all of this. The God who parted the Red Sea will get us out of this. Just trust Him.
