The news these days is pretty depressing, isn’t it?

Each day brings reports of the latest closures due to the coronavirus threat. We’re seeing schools shut down, stores and workplaces shuttered, and restrictions on travel and gathering in groups. More and more aspects of our normal lives are being taken away from us.

Feeling discouraged after watching the news on TV yesterday, I went into the kitchen to make dinner. Out of the corner of my eye, I suddenly saw something shiny pass by the window. First one shimmery orb, then dozens whizzed by. I peered out to discover what on earth they were.

What I saw quickly dispelled my negative thoughts:

Bubbles.

My neighbour was outside blowing bubbles for her three-year-old son.

I smiled as watched the little boy whoop with delight as he tried to chase them down and pop them. It made me forget all about what the coronavirus has taken from us and instead think about the things we still do have, like the joy of seeing a little boy enchanted by bubbles.

Later, when I went outside for a walk, I saw that the same neighbour had been writing things on the sidewalk in coloured chalk. In addition to some hopscotch squares, she had inscribed encouraging messages:

“Smile… Be Happy… Show Kindness… Love Fully… Enjoy the Sun.”

I’m sure she wrote these uplifting sayings for her little boy to discover as they walked around the block. But don’t we all need to be reminded of this during these trying times?

The coronavirus has robbed us of many things temporarily: our livelihoods, our normal routines, and our peace of mind. But there are things it can’t take from us. There is so much that we still have:

The love of our families, the laughter of children, the warmth of the sun on our faces, the beauty of nature, the impulse to help others… I’m sure you can think of many more. There’s still so much to be grateful for.

And if you’re a believer in Jesus, you have even more. You have the forgiveness of your sins, the comfort of the Holy Spirit, and the promise of eternal life with Christ. None of that can ever be taken from you. Even if you suffer earthly loss during this crisis, you’ve lost nothing eternal.

In my most recent post, “No Social Distancing With God,” I quoted a portion of a verse from Romans 8:38. Let’s look at that section of Scripture more fully:

“Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, pain or persecution? Can lack of clothes and food, danger to life and limb, the threat of force of arms?

“No, in all these things we win an overwhelming victory through him who has proved his love for us.

“I have become absolutely convinced that neither death nor life, neither messenger of Heaven nor monarch of earth, neither what happens today nor what may happen tomorrow, neither a power from on high nor a power from below, nor anything else in God’s whole world has any power to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 8:35, 38-39 Phillips)

If you’re a believer, nothing can separate you from God’s love. And that includes the coronavirus, or any other trial you may be facing in your life right now.

During these trying times, we still have so much.

And if you know Jesus, you have everything.

© 2020 Lori J. Cartmell. All rights reserved.