His mercies are new every morning. Yesterday’s online service with our church family was powerful and transforming. Everyone I know is worshiping online now because of the coronavirus. There was some good news on Twitter about combating this virus, and the numbers are lower because of the stay-at-home order people are submitting to. I still don’t like the fact that I have to be closed the next 14 days, but I’m thankful for the presence the Father is raining upon us.

Through all of this the thought that God provides like he did in John 6 with the 5,000 crosses my mind again and again. I think that’s the reason I keep praying he empower us to find a vaccine or cure for this virus. I also pray that he heal, sustain and protect us from this virus. Our friend Dave has the virus, and we pray for healing, but we also pray for his and wife and 5 kids from getting the virus. God moves in interaction with our prayers, but he also teaches us to sit still at home to save lives. We are literally saving lives when we stay home. I don’t think I’ve ever contemplated that this much in this unprecedented time. As a man my work is very important to me, and I’m not saying that as a woman your work is not important. Quite the contrary. My wife just left for work on the front-lines, and I’m challenged to stay home with my ego and pride challenging my “worth.” My battle with depression factors into this scenario, and it’s not a walk in the park. Add to that parenting a teenage girl, and I’ve got a plethora of opportunities for growth. Wish me luck. Better yet put me on your prayer list for knowledge, wisdom and guidance during this pandemic and beyond.

One thing is true about this pandemic. It’s creating thoughts, dreams and inspirations that would not be here if it wasn’t happening. I’m also abstaining from the news relatively well like I was before this pandemic started. I tend to stay up too late scrolling Twitter for the latest, so maybe this evening I can be more aware of that bad habit. I’d like the have the coffee ready before Carey gets out of the shower, but I’ve been dragging myself out of bed after she’s half-way dressed. That’s because it’s almost 11 before I go to bed. Hence the scrolling through Twitter. Battling depression is many times recognizing what your frontal lobe is telling you. Depression doesn’t inhibit my common sense or intelligence, but it exacerbates dysfunction that makes me believe something like scrolling through Twitter late at night will relieve me from pain. It never does. It’s like the sex alcoholic who thinks the next affair or fornicating act will fill the void. It never does. God is always the missing component in the emptiness anyone feels. He does not force his agenda, will, knowledge or power on anyone. Could he? You know the answer to that. We can argue till Judgement Day about predestination, and many will, but the free-will he has put before us shows us that the common denominator must be love and grace. And the book of Titus is plain in it’s explanation that grace teaches us to say no to ungodliness.

Tonight I’m going to refuse to scroll through Twitter. If I have to I’ll turn off my phone. Stay tuned. 🙂

As I sit here sipping my coffee and looking at the sun shine through the tree-line I marvel that I serve the same God Daniel served in the Hebrew Bible. Prayer is a constant connection with the one who knit us together in our mother’s wombs, and that has never changed. And it never will. His love and provision continually amazes us as it should, but time and again I have to be reminded of it. That’s why I do not turn my back on the church. Even if it’s through my television screen the message of the Father is life transforming. This situation without a doubt will make me more thankful for my family and church family. “Absence” does indeed make the heart grow fonder.

My prayer for this entire global village is that unbelievers will give their lives to Christ. I realize that not the entire village will obey the Gospel, but John 3.16 still holds true. And with that fact seared into my frontal lobe I want to be empowered to love better. My depression has a strong anger management issue that has plagued me my entire life, and that context is even more important in light of God’s love. The song does after all say, “They will know we are Christians by our love.”

Twitter is resplendent with “Christian” hate, so maybe I should fast from it today.

I just might.

Grace and peace dear ones.