It is always good at moments like these to take a few minutes to reflect on what God is teaching during this time.

1. You do not know what you have till it is gone. There are lots of little things I miss while being inside during lockdown. The most significant is our worship meetings on Sunday morning. I miss the songs being sung by the Lord’s people. There are also the simple pleasures of sitting in a restaurant with my wife on a quiet Friday. I am going to miss my son’s college graduation, and it was our first one, feeling disappointed about it. This time has clarified some of the things I value and do not realize it.
2. I can do without a lot of things. The flip side of point one is also true. I have not missed sports like I thought I would. Casual shopping trips where I spend too much money without planning for it, are definitely not missed. The weekly maintenance around the Church building both before and after worship does not leave a void. Several things I thought were important have proved not to be so significant to me.
3. My connection to people. I am an introvert. I have always valued my time alone with a small group of people. I am surprised at how much I miss seeing everyone. This is especially true on Sundays. The family of God contains people who are precious to me. My family would also love to see my mother, but for the sake of her health, we have stayed away. Time away from family is hard. I never expected to miss my time with people so much.
4. The power of God in weakness. Over the past few weeks, I have been blessed to see God working in so many ways. Several people have reported to me that non-Christian family members have watched our worship programs at home. Others have told me about friends reading religious books along with their Bibles. On top of everything, our Church rallied to take up a massive offering over a 12-day period in which we gave 10% (above our standard 10% to missions) to a local school program. The number still blows me away. God even uses things like the virus to do his mighty work

These are the biggest lessons I am learning, or at least being reminded of during this time. What is God teaching you? The lessons of life are often discovered in seasons of unexpected challenges. I pray this time is a time of growth for all of us.