Q. and A.
Now day #22 in the pandemic, you no doubt are deluged with columns, blogs, and posts about how to best deal with the Covid-19 crisis. Experts offer wise words on how to reduce stress and stay healthy. You read about the benefits of limiting news intake, keeping a routine, exercising daily, watching the right movies, reaching out to others, using free educational or exercise programs online, and so on. This is all great stuff, and it is much appreciated.
Let me go in a different direction. I can’t stop thinking about how this crisis is affecting each of us in different ways. Probably we all share some degree of fear, sadness, worry, concern, disbelief, helplessness, and grief. But, then the similarities stop and huge contrasts between our various circumstances become obvious. I know I am extremely fortunate. I can continue my writing and projects from home. My husband works from home and has a secure job. We have a yard and a pleasant neighborhood where we can go for walks, even with Maryland’s new Stay-at-Home Order. Dog-walkers pass by our home regularly, and we’ve taken to opening the door or window and hollering out to visit with familiar passersby. Even the fact that our washing machine has been broken for three weeks hasn’t been a problem. We just wear the same clothes every day—something soft and comfortable. I haven’t missed doing laundry. Many of us find the calendar days beginning to blend one into another, lacking the fixed schedule and weekend activities, like church or family outings, that have always bookended our weekdays.
I know you may have a story far different from mine. What are your circumstances? You may be home with rambunctious kids, trying to share the computer with them for their schoolwork, while you do your work from home. Or maybe you don’t have a computer, nor a job, nor any space for the children to bounce and holler as they are prone to do. Maybe all you have is a heavy sense of dread and many questions:
“What will happen if I can’t pay the rent? Will my business ever be able to reopen? When will I be ever be able to reschedule my breast biopsy? How will my father possibly survive in the hospital us being with him? Should I go to the doctor about my sore throat? How can I keep my family safe while I go out and work to pay the bills? How can I be brave and generous enough to keep going back to my job as a nurse (or doctor, EMT, hospital worker, first responder, or grocery store employee…) when I am so tired and frightened? What about my sister’s wedding? How can I stop feeling so guilty when I have so much and others are suffering? What about the immigrants and refugee camps and war zones? What if they get the virus? Why didn’t our country do better with early testing? How can I stop worrying about my mom, living alone so far away?”
My Q. and A. has many questions, but it only has one answer. That answer is the Lord. We must trust Our Lord and Savior like never before. Turn to Jesus over and over during each day, thank Him for your blessings, and surrender all your unanswerable questions to Him. A perfect way to do this is with a classic prayer called the Suscipe Prayer. It was written by Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556).
Lord Jesus Christ, take all my freedom, my memory, my understanding, and my will.
All that I have and cherish you have given me. I surrender it all to be guided by your will.
Your grace and your love are wealth enough for me.
Give me these, Lord Jesus, and I ask for nothing more.
SUGGESTIONS:
1. Memorize this prayer and say it daily.
2. Let the presence of Christ in you be a healing balm for others.
3. Read a guest blog I wrote, The Power of Trust.
4. If you are interested, check out the compilation of all my favorite prayers, including some adaptations of favorites.
God bless each and every one of you. I send to you my love and prayers as we, the Body of Christ, approach Holy Week. May abundant grace come to you and yours this Easter,
P.S. How are YOU doing? Let me know, either here or on FB or Twitter. If you have benefited from reading this post, please share it with others on FB or Twitter.
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Dr. Donna Chacko promotes health of body, mind, and spirit through her website (serenityandhealth.com), her blog, and programs at her church. She is the author of the award-winning book and Amazon best-seller Pilgrimage: A Doctor’s Healing Journey (Luminare Press, 2021). You can read her full bio here.