Hey Siri! Should I Panic?

In the early days of GPS, there are at least a handful of stories of some poor souls who opted to trust their Global Positioning System over what their eyes and senses were telling them. Most of the stories have decently happy endings (meaning no serious injuries).

Take the gentleman from Scotland, who nearly followed his GPS off a cliff, or there’s a story of Japanese tourists in Australia, who followed their GPS into the Pacific Ocean (they made it, the car on the other hand, didn’t) then there was a guy who followed his GPS and drove down a flight of concrete steps into a park. Yikes! 

I will be the first to admit that I don’t have a good handle on all of the ins and outs of Covid19. I’m washing my hands more often than usual, staying home as much as possible, boiling silverware (because we don’t have a dishwasher). I know the basics⎼Covid19 is super contagious and potentially fatal for some. I want to keep my family safe, and I certainly want to extend love and consideration to my neighbors and friends and passersby in the grocery store, by doing my part to “stay home, stay healthy.”

But I think today's media is our modern day GPS. If they project the worst things (which they’re pretty famous for), panic can, and has, followed. Toilet paper, anyone? 🚽How did that shortage even become a thing? Because what many heard from the news was: PANIC!

It’s like we took our eyes off the road, and listened instead to a voice (or voices) telling us relentlessly about the worst possible outcomes. When I look around with my eyes, I see the world still turning. Trucks still driving and delivering. Toilet paper is still being manufactured. I might not be able to get the exact thing I want from the store (who has all the spicy chicken ramen?), but no one in my family is going hungry.

We’ve made adjustments to do our part to flatten the curve and stop the spread. We miss seeing the normal faces from our communities. But, we have what we need. We feel for those on the front lines -- working in hospitals, doctors offices, first responders; we’re celebrating being extremely creative in the ways we connect with people outside of home; we’re learning to be content with less running, and more time at home with family. We’re concerned about the long-term effect on the economy, but even that doesn’t seem as dire as it could be.

Please hear me: I know we have a situation. This is an unprecedented, hard season. No one was really prepared for anything like this. But also, can we for a moment, instead of listening to people we don’t know, check in with those we know. The people in my circles that extend around us in East Texas, to my sisters in Oregon, and friends and family in Michigan report a lot of the same things: we’re okay. 

There’s a third option of where to look⎼UP. Who else feels small in all of this? The reality is, I can wash and wash and wash my hands. I can clean and sanitize my house. I can quarantine for weeks, but I have no guarantee that I’ve eradicated all dangerous germs from my life. I cannot control the world around me.

Truth: our Father God, the Creator of the universe, holds the whole world in His mighty and capable hands. So, even when it feels like my world is spinning out of control, I have peace when I look up, and remember that He’s got this, He’s got me, He’s got my family and friends. This is an exceptionally hard time to walk through, but I have HOPE because God is who He says He is⎼He’s faithful and good and trustworthy, even through the storm. Do you have this hope? 

What or whose voice are you listening to? We have a choice about that! And it's a pretty critical starting point as we navigate some unchartered, really stormy waters.

Instead of “Hey, Siri!” try “Hey, God!” He will listen to you. He loves you unconditionally and wants to walk WITH you through the good times and the hard times. 

Peace I leave with you, My {perfect} peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. {Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance (even COVID19) and give you courage and strength for every challenge.} 

John 14:27 AMP

Do you want to know more? I’m Amy and I’d love to talk! 248-568-9007 

_____

Amy and her husband carved out space and time in their lives last year to attend our Family DTS with their 7 kids. It was life changing. If you are in a season of wondering what to do next, or if discovering more purpose for your family is on your mind, learn more about our Discipleship Training Schools.