Before the storm, the sky was beautifully clear. Clear blue skies, thin clouds way up there, sun shining bright. Its warmth making even the flowers smile, a gentle breeze could be felt every now and then, the trees swaying as in a slow dance. Planes flying overhead, preparing to land as they approached the airport. They flew low enough that one could easily identify the airline from the brightly painted tail fins.
Life was normal. Well at least this was the norm; exciting weekends, fun and laughter with family and friends planning for the next get together with absolute certainty and parting ways with hugs, kisses and high fives. Work, school, church, seminars, conferences, fellowships, eating out, movies, theatres, rush hour traffic, shopping, errands, impromptu trips. Meticulously laying out plans for the rest of the year, for family, work, hobbies interests ensuring that none of them clash.
It all seemed normal, and was not perturbed even when I saw some ominous clouds gathering in the distance. The looming storm seemed so far away, too far that it would never reach me and my loved ones. The storm’s epicenter was in the middle of a far, far away continent, in a town we had never heard of, the city of Wuhan.
Barely four months since the pandemic broke out in China, the ravaging storm has traversed all continents wreaking havoc, leaving thousands upon thousands dead, and over a million others infected, spreading like wildfire .The pandemic is now in my very own city, Nairobi. Major cities in the world are now on lockdown. Normal life is not normal anymore as we had known it.
This storm is not only taking the lives of many has also gripped the world with fear.
Most companies are laying off staff; others closing shop unable to bear the financial strain, those with jobs are urged to work from home.
The majority in my country live from hand to mouth and work in informal settings, bills still accruing, even having running water and soap to keep the vicious virus at bay is a challenge let alone setting a meal on the table.
Everything seems to have come to a standstill all around the world, the storm rages on striking the nations with fear .This virus does not discriminate; it affects people of all social status, all races and all religions. We are all in the same boat facing the same storm.
I recently came across a different kind of storm in the New Testament, a monstrous storm that threatened the lives of the disciples.
They were on a boat when this storm hit. The waves of the lake plummeted against the boat and swamped it, threatening to drown all the passengers. They however weren’t alone in the storm; Jesus was with them, his head on a pillow asleep. They woke him up.
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith? He asked the disciples.” The disciples were amazed and asked one another “Who is this?” He commands even the winds and the water and they obey him. Luke 9: 22-25
At this point in time, the disciples had seen Jesus in action before .They knew that he had done the miraculous before their very eyes .They had seen him heal the sick, even from diseases that were known to be incurable! He drove out evil spirits from people and had even raised a young boy from death to life! They knew that he wielded great power and authority.
It then suddenly hit me ,the storm that we all face today – the storm of the covid 19 pandemic that is trying to crush the entire boat and drown all occupants i.e. the entire world; it dawned on me We are not alone in this storm ,the Lord is with us.
Just as he was with his disciples on the boat, he is still present. Only that most of us do not acknowledge him, let alone believe in him. Some may also think that he is too far removed from our realities, or too busy to make time for us or perhaps that we are too far gone from him and wouldn’t know where to start the conversation.
He said that he would never leave us nor forsake us.
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13: 5
He said that he would forgive us and cleanse us from our sins.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”1 John 1:9
He also said that everyone who calls upon his name would be saved.
“…whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” Joel 2:32
Anyone who comes to him must first of all believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
He is with us even in this storm, we need only call out to him, he rebuked winds and waves in the past, he can surely rebuke this invisible wind and the Covid 19 storm will surely come to a sudden end.
#storm #covid19 #africa #asia #europe #americas #oceania
#Jesus #Savior #hope # life #covid19willend
ComeFullCircle 