“All employees to work from home for the next two weeks until further update” — this was told more than two weeks ago, and there is still no change as I am now entering the fourth week working from home.
Never did I imagine (I bet just like everyone else), the seriousness of the current international health crisis. I am very grateful that I can still have my full time job, working from home together with my husband who has also followed the same since last week. I have opted out my kids from school since the early state of emergency, and been using the online study and home school material provided by the teachers. Now that they are in school term break, we are happy to have them with us at home (although we are definitely challenged to keep them busy, be creative and entertained without involving too much screen time – a real challenge for any parents!). I, in particular, however still have concerns when the term break is over. Would it be safe for them to go to school again? We can only pray and surrender everything to God’s hands — He knows all, and have control of what’s going on in the world.
The first days I started working from home, I tried to keep updated with the news as much as I could. This, however, did not bring me any peace. It has made me uneasy and hard to focus on what was necessary. Quickly I made a conscious decision, to align my priorities and feeding my mind with God’s words constantly (particularly early in the morning when I’m about to begin my day). It is important to know what’s going on around us, but if it only adds worry and fear to our mind it is not healthy and we need to make conscious decision to reverse our actions.
As I mentioned above, I am grateful that I can still work despite high numbers of redundancies and reduced working hours happening around. We can still do our grocery shopping, and able to hold our COOL (cell group) and Sunday service via online, though with imposed restrictions. Yes, our physical movement and social life are changed in considerable way but as I ponder deeper, the only “sacrifice” we need to make at the moment (by “staying at home”) actually only goes as far as restrictions and adjustments towards our own self convenience. (Praise the Lord) nothing changes in the way we pay our monthly mortgage, or the amount of food available in our fridge and pantry. We are also well and healthy.
Being surrounded with this kind of situation while there are others “out there” who are experiencing worse can make us living in our own bubble! The biggest temptation for myself personally is, to live my daily with this kind of mentality: “Crisis? What Crisis?” despite living in the midst of a real one, and this can be deceiving! It is dangerous and deceitful as it tempts me to put my confidence in what I own (the blessings), rather than on the Giver of the blessings (read:idolatry, and idolatry is never a light issue in Christianity — it is a blatant SIN, and we can’t let sin be part of our daily life. Daily repentance is mandatory).
Also, I need to be aware not to become complacent and only focus on “myself and my family”. There are many opportunities for us to be God’s hands and feet although we are bounded by social distancing. Pray that His Spirit will give us the heart and creative ways to be assistance for those in need (eg. Around our own neighbourhood).
These things have become my everyday personal reflection, to keep my heart be intimately attached with His Spirit in the midst of this uncertainty.
To close with, this verse has become my “rhema” since last week:
Psalm 90:12
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom”.
The Bible says “teach us”, why? Because it is something that human needs to study and learn time and time again (we are just like toddlers), that our days are not infinite. We make plans, we buy things, often forgetting this crucial truth in mind.
That’s why we need to stay close with His Spirit, to abide in Him daily. The more we learn, the more our mind is transformed, the more we will be able to discern which lasts eternally, which lasts only a while while we are on earth.
May this closing verse be our prayer:
Psalm 86:11
“Teach me Your way, O LORD, that I may walk in Your truth. Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name”
This is not only a time of health, social, and economy crisis. This is crisis in our spirituality. May we not become forgetful who we really are, mere dusts if it isn’t because of God’s grace sustaining our life and our loved ones’.
God bless you all and have a blessed weekend ❤❤
My Thoughts... My Life... 
This is a difficult time for all of us now. But, the skeptic in me wonders if this was the correct approach to take in dealing with this virus, and if this virus is really that deadly. A lot of economic misery is going to be felt around the world over this for some time to come.