Today is the National Day of Prayer, and it couldn’t come at a better time. It's been almost 8 weeks that the majority of the country has been shuttering at home due to coronavirus. In the US alone, as of May 8, there have been 1.2 million cases and 75, 744 deaths. Staggering. Unemployment claims since mid-March are now upwards of 33 million. We are stressed, we are tired, and we are frustrated - both with the government, with our fellow citizens, with these unprecedented rules and with this new reality.
This week it also came to light that another innocent young man, Ahmaud Arbery, was murdered in Georgia as he was "jogging while black." We as a community feel the pain during this heightened time, a reminder of the pre-covid 19 fears that ruled many of our lives. To say our hearts are heavy is an understatement.
We hope that some day we will not be open targets. That there will be justice when self-appointed vigilantes decide to draw AND cross their own lines. We hope that the "curve" will flatten. We hope that these countless deaths will end. We hope that we can get back to resuming our lives. For those of us who believe in a higher power, what we need to add to those hopes are prayers. Today is a great time to examine our relationship with God and to release some of this baggage we have been carrying around especially these last few weeks (and years). We need guidance and to know the world is not in a free fall. We need to know that God is still watching over us and that He will get us through this stage of our lives.
This week is also coincidentally Nurse & Teacher Appreciation Weeks. Especially as this pandemic has gotten legs we have increased our respect exponentially for both professions. Nurses have been on the front lines, witnessing things we would never hope to witness, serving as compassion for patients who cannot have any family by their sides. They have showed up to work day after day, working imaginably long shifts, and often without proper protection. Teachers have had to come up with alternate lesson plans on the fly and maneuver through field mines of technology glitches, access to resources, and learning how to transform into virtual classrooms overnight with no preparation. Our parents have learned first hand just how involved a teacher's impact can be. We thank you. From the bottom of our hearts we thank you for all that you ALL do, and we pray for you.
On this day National Day of Prayer, I pray on behalf of us all:
Dear Lord,
We pray for the country and the world and that You get us through this pandemic. Please watch over those struggling with their physical and mental health, financial pressures, job loss, job overwhelm, fear, anxiety and loneliness. We pray for those caught in difficult situations like abuse, both verbal and physical. We pray for for the front line and essential workers. All of them. And we pray for our brothers and sisters stripped of their basic freedoms, like going for a jog. We pray for freedom and justice for all. We pray for all of those who have lost someone recently or are still healing. We pray for all of those who feel extra pain during Mother’s Day. Please, in Jesus name, watch over us all and help us through our own tribulations.
We thank You and praise You and lift you high. In gratitude, Amen.
Stay safe. Stay connected. Stay blessed!
Artwork: "Time Well Spent" & “His Time Well Spent” by Henry Battle