What I Learned During Quarantine...

Since the beginning of the quarantine, my church did a daily devotion and prayer. Every morning I listened to the devotion from the quietness of my prayer closet. I would journal my fears regarding the pandemic and the economic downturn. I would pray special prayers for all of my loved ones and close friends, calling them each by name in the presence of God. I would end with a personal prayer for myself.

One morning, Pastor Carter spoke about the story of David. 

Referencing 2 Samuel 5:4 – “David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all.” Anyone who grew up in the church is familiar with the story of David. 

For those who are not, here’s a brief highlight:

David was a young shepherd who was also a musician. Most recognize him from the story of David and Goliath, where he killed the vicious giant with a rock and a sling. He becomes a favorite of King Saul and a close friend of Saul's son Jonathan. After Saul and Jonathan are killed in battle, David is anointed as King.

 What could I possibly learn from David’s story amid a global pandemic?

Pastor Carter went on to explain that David’s story is filled with ups and downs. But overall God didn’t just catapult David into royalty. There were different seasons he had to overcome before he was appointed king. 

God gave him seasons where he needed to walk.

Seasons where he needed to run.

Seasons where he needed to rest.

As I meditated on those words, I remembered that out of fear King Saul would kill him, David hid in the cave of Adullam for an unspecified amount of time. It was after king Saul died that he returned and was appointed as king. 

 What did David do while stuck in a cave, unable to go as he pleased, unable to see loved ones (sounds familiar)? He wrote beautiful Psalms: 142, 57 & 34. Beautiful chapters, where he poured out his heart to God while filling the pages with words of praise and gratitude. During his solace, he rested and spent time in the presence of God.

 It may appear as if it was a season where he needed to run for his safety but in those moments while in the cave, he rested on the bosom of God and poured out his soul into what became the book of Psalms.

 At the beginning of this pandemic I was paralyzed with worry, anxiety, and grief for those who were suffering. As family members dealt with COVID, Papa having to work in the midst of it all, and all of us having to adjust to the unknown. I found peace in my prayer closet and God spoke to me that morning through the story of David. 

 In this midst of a global pandemic, God was telling me to rest. 

 Which was almost impossible to accept.

 How can I rest when the kids are home, meals have to be cooked, the house has to be cleaned, schoolwork has to be completed and I’m still working a fulltime job?

 God still was telling me to rest. Rest in the peace of knowing he is in control. Rest in His assurance, rest in His never-ending provisions. Rest in the belief that the blood of his son is much more powerful than we can even imagine. And while struggling with the unknown, rest in my faith and find comfort in knowing, when it comes to God, there is no such thing as the unknown. 

Just rest. 

Lay your body down and rest.

Just like that, in the midst of anxiety and worry, I gave it a try. While there were still daily responsibilities, the burden I felt eventually began to lift. With that release, I began to see the time I was given at home as a blessing. Using it to spend more quality time with the kids, completing projects that I enjoyed and I even started reading a book or two. 

This season was a gift. I had to let go of the belief that I could not rest in the midst of this pandemic out of guilt and worry for those who could not. 

 This was the greatest lesson I learned during quarantine…

 When God says rest, have faith and know that He can lead you to still waters even in the midst of a hurricane…