Pandemic guidance from above: A few steps to follow
The following steps were originally written as seven ways to solve a problem, but they can also easily apply to dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Psalm 73:24 reads, “Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel.”
1. Ask God for guidance and then believe he will guide you.
2. Don’t panic or you will not be able to think clearly.
3. Don’t be overwhelmed or make the problem bigger than it is.
4. Don’t spend time on regrets.
5. Seek a solution, not for the whole problem but for one step.
6. Ask yourself what is right and avoid the wrong, for no wrong thing ever turns out right.
7. Never give up.
When this pandemic first began and the reality hit, it felt kind of surreal to me. But once I realized this was actually happening I began to pray more than my usual daily prayers. Please God take this from our world. Please Lord don’t let my loved ones and friends get sick. Please tell us how to get through this.
God is good. He will guide us through.
If a bit of panic set in (and believe me, it did at times), I took a calming breath and tried to relax and tell myself that this is not forever. This situation will end, and hopefully sooner than next year. Exercise and meditation help, as does phoning/ emailing family and friends. Online classes, reading, gardening and those chores we may have been putting off can all help with distracting us from anxiety.
Don’t get overwhelmed. I think about what I can control, and let God deal with those things I can’t. I have hand sanitizer and face masks. I read what the CDC is saying, and follow as best as I can. When I do have to go to the food store I don’t linger any longer than necessary, and shop at times when the store is less crowded. Many stores have senior hours, usually early mornings.
Don’t have regrets about what you should or could have done. I should have gone to the Outer Banks in February because our May reservations were canceled. I should have driven up to New York state to visit my family, whom I haven’t seen since June 2019. I should have thought to stock up on certain supplies, such as toilet paper and Lysol. Don’t regret. Begin from where you are.
Find a solution for just one step. What’s the right thing to do next? Maybe you shouldn’t be so quick to shop in all of your favorite stores that are now open again. Choose only the ones you really need items from. Postpone your “just browsing” trips to the mall. Watch and see how things play out now that Phase Three has begun. Consider stocking up on basic grocery items, or the infamous paper products, because who knows what the future will bring, whether it’s a hurricane or a second wave of the pandemic in the fall/winter, as some experts expect. Do you go to the hair or nail salon? Dine inside a restaurant? Attend worship services? Decide what you are willing to risk for your own pleasure. As I write this, the cases in Virginia are rising because of more places opening due to Phase Three.
Ask yourself what is right, and you will know in your heart the right things to do. Wear a mask in pub
Never give up. Keep praying and believing. We will get through this one way or another. Pandemics run their course, and daily life moves on.
lic, keep that social distancing, and of course wash your hands. We see folks without masks at stores, crowded beaches, and other areas. Many young people are gathering in groups and acting carelessly, putting themselves and others at risk.
Never give up. Keep praying and believing. We will get through this one way or another. Pandemics run their course, and daily life moves on. Our world may be slightly different from how it used to be, but the most important thing is that it will still be life. We are alive and have made it through with God’s guidance.
Jackie Grant is retired from the travel/tourism field, volunteers with Meals on Wheels, and writes freelance articles. Contact her at grantjackie21@gmail.com.