We've done this before...it's in the Bible.

When will the "social distancing" all end? 

Isolated.  Confused. Fearful. 
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Add to the above, politics, freedom, morals, values, division... and you have a recipe for total frustration.

The COVID-19 pandemic has frayed our nerves to say the least.  It has take our lives from us for the past 7 months.  We are tired of it.  We want it to end.   
​We cannot go one with the stress of an illness that seems to have no end in sight.   Or can we? 

SOCIAL DISTANCING is nothing new....

It is right there in the Bible.

​The infectious disease at that time was leprosy.  If you had leprosy you were forced to separate yourself from everyone.  No not where you lived, but away, outside of the camp.  (Leviticus 13:45-46). To make matters worse, you, the leper, had to be sure to stay far away from any other human being.  If someone was coming toward you at a distance, you were to shout “Unclean, unclean” in order to warn everyone.

Taking it one step further,  Leviticus 13 Israelite culture imposed another stronger “social distancing” stigma.  All who had leprosy were despised and shunned. The people of that time just assumed that the only way a person would be infected by such a horrible disease was if they were cursed by God.

Thousands of years later, it seems nothing has changed much. With COVID-19 we are told to distance ourselves.  We do not have outward marks like leprosy, a person can be infected and have no symptoms.   

​This is why the virus today can be dangerous for some.   So as we social distance from others, how do we try to continue our life with some sense of normalcy?   

Let's look how Paul coped...
The apostle Paul was often separated from others for long periods of time, enduring physical abuse also.  Yet he committed to prayer and outreach while he was confined. Nothing would stop his determination.  He had no cell phone, Ipad or laptop.  There was no mail service or television.  Yet he managed to communicate with his friends in faith and encourage them with words from God. 

Here we are with cell phones, Ipads and laptops - we have a car that gives us the chance to get out in the fresh air and appreciate His creation.  We still have a connection to a world -- a world that NEEDS Christ. 

Marriage has been perverted, the family structure is broken, abortion is ongoing, morals are in shreds, right is wrong and wrong is right, truth is a lie and lies are accepted as truths.  So as we find ourselves with more time to feel frustrated and depressed over what we see and hear, what can we do?    

We can be working for CHRIST!   
With the world at our "fingertips" we have abundant opportunities to reach many with the news that JESUS can heal, cleanse and save.   No underlying disease can hide from His healing power.  

Like Paul, we can write.   We can send cards and letters to those we know need encouragement.   This is the perfect opportunity to connect with someone who would not have given you the time of day if things were normal.

A hand written letter, it can be read over and over by the receiver and can be a lifeline for them.  Hey, we all like to get cards in the mail instead of emails.   We all like to hear someone's voice on the phone instead of texting!   

A friend of mine would take the phone book and send out cards (from the dollar store in packs of 10 that were inexpensive yet pretty) to 5 random people each day. She just signed her first name and said she had prayed for them and hoped they knew that Jesus was there for them if they just talked with Him in prayer.  

Let's not waste the time that we are spending at home - away from social contact.
Remember, nothing happens in our life that has not passed by His eyes first.

God knows the end from the beginning.  He surely is waiting for you to use your time for Him in some way as you wait for life to return to some sort of normalcy. 

GOD IS WORKING.   
It is not for us to know how, why or what the outcome will be. 
​We need to just keep busy for Him.