I have to SHELTER IN PLACE? What?

Here I sit… all alone in my house and barely talk to anyone on the phone. I am a little immobilized and unmotivated to do all that much. I do a little, just swept the floor again. I am lonely and have an unreasonable sense of abandonment by my family and friends.

Oh, I just got a text message from one of my cousins. She is alone in her house too but she seems more content with the situation. Oh, yeah, her daughter is Manhattan with severe health issues. She must be feeling pretty lonely too. She has been there a long time and I am sure she has lots of friends coming out to help her during this.

I just remembered that one of my sisters is very immunity-compromised but she seems okay with the situation. Well, she does have her husband at home to talk with and pass the time. Actually, she has been outdoors a lot planting a garden. She is doing better than I am. My other sister also has a husband and they have been tackling a recapture of their home place landscaping. They seem to be doing pretty well and seem pretty much at peace with all this. She is pretty cheerful about this situation…looking on the bright side, I guess.

I talked with one of my friends down in Tupelo this week. She is alone also but she doesn’t have the problems or issues that I have. Her finances are pretty secure because she has government retirement and social security coming in. She can hire people to help her take care of things. She also has a lot of friends that she talks with pretty often. She seemed to be pretty much okay.

I got laid off in January and started getting unemployment benefits through the state. That just stopped last week because the system blew up. So many people have gotten laid off during this virus and tried to file. That means those of us who were already on it got kicked off too. So, none of us are getting it now. When is our state government going to get this straightened out?

I had to stop watching the news because I am sure it was taking my blood pressure over the top. I don’t have any help if I get a stroke from all this. I have to do all I can to take care of myself, right? This is so scary. So many people are getting this and dying. I hear about it every day and I feel so unsettled all the time.

Then.

God offered me peace.

Philippians 4: 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

· REJOICE

· DO NOT BE ANXIOUS

· THINK ABOUT EXCELLENCTAND PRAISEWORTHY THINGS

· PUT INTO PRACTICE THE LOVE OF GOD WHO GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTON SON TO RECEIVE THE PUNISHMENT FOR OUR SINS

Rejoice? In this terrible time? What do I have to rejoice about?

#1 I am in a home and in no current danger of losing it.

#2 I probably have enough food in the house to eat for a few more weeks, maybe a month, without having to shop at the grocers. It may not always be pleasing to the palette but it will hold me. Besides, the government sent me a check to buy groceries and essentials. And, I am getting unemployment. I have enough reserve for now… I can keep cable and internet.

#3 My health needs are manageable for now. My niece-in-law has to go for dialysis three days a week. I don’t have to do that or anything else like that. I take the BP pills and other things and make it fine My health is okay: I can mow my yard, clean my house, sew up PPE cloth masks and other things if I would just do it.

#4 God has provided time for me to reflect on my personal priorities and an opportunity to do a serious overhaul to make moves toward being what HE wants me to be.

#5 I am going to die. Nothing I can do or any doctor can do can change this. We can live the best life we can while we live and we can take precautions to prevent pain and suffering, but I am going to die one day. When one of us dies, those who loved this one will mourn and be saddened. We will miss this one and grieve.

#6 Hebrews 9 27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

#7 Put into practice what we have been told by God to do and that is to LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR. #10 I am in this house, as all of us are, NOT to just protect myself as to protect my “neighbor” or family or friends I am NOT in this house sheltering in place for love of me as much as love for everyone.

Matthew 22:36-40 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”