I love planning trips. I spend hours searching and researching to find the best deals and unique things to do. If we travel by road, my husband plans out the most scenic route. The preparation and anticipation for one of these adventures add to my enjoyment once we arrive at our destination. I try to keep the schedule open and relaxed to allow time to discover the areas we visit.
The Trip
As I searched for a deal for a spring adventure, I found an incredible deal. We could fly round trip to Beijing for $500 per person. I booked the trip and started researching what to do in the area. A whisper of a virus spreading across China turned into a roar as the airlines began canceling flights to the region. Okay, no need to panic. We will pick somewhere else to visit. I called the airlines to discuss the options.
We settled on a week in Belgium. Excitement grew as we planned out things we wanted to do. We loved the movie called “Monument Men,” so we wanted to see Bruges and Ghent as well as Brussels. As I sketched out the visit, the Coronavirus continued to spread. I did my best to ignore the news as our departure date arrived.
The airports and planes were less crowded than usual. We landed bright and early on Wednesday morning. After a short rest, we started exploring. At dinner, we planned which days to visit other cities and priced the train tickets. We went to bed the first night with plans for a pleasant week of sightseeing.
Unexpected Events
Thursday morning, I awoke to a bunch of text messages from friends and families. The alerted us of the news of shutting down international flights to stop the spread of the disease. A quick panic ensued as we scrambled to figure out our options. We rescheduled our flight home for Friday morning to beat the midnight deadline.
This virus and the trip showed me how quickly life can change. One minute, everything is planned out, and then the next minute, we are self quarantined at home. Sometimes, we forget how fragile life can be for everyone. A cancer diagnosis, a car wreck, a layoff, a divorce, or a pandemic can send us spiraling out of control. Nothing feels like it will ever be the same as we grapple with the changes we need to make.
The Only Sure Thing
But, one thing never changes. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, never changes, and He never leaves us or forsakes us. This virus quickly changed so much of our lives and left many of us scared for an uncertain future. Schools and businesses closed, travel curtailed, the stock market in free fall, and lives disrupted. I think many of us felt very unprepared for such a drastic change. But God remains unchanged and in control. We can trust Him during these unsettled times.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8
I saw these words from Bob Goff, “Sometimes God lets us lose hope for a moment, so we’ll retrace our steps and find Him all over again.” Do any of us need to find God again? Do we need to reconnect with Him? When life gets comfortable and easy, we can forget our need for Jesus. In these times, we can turn back to God and find peace and comfort.
Bible Verses
This virus seems like it will continue to disrupt our lives for months to come. Instead of focusing on the problems that might happen, let us focus on the promises of God from His word. He loves each of us. “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26. Not sure who coined this phrase, but it sure does apply; “We can trust an unknown future to our known God.” Here are some verses to help settle our fears:
- Psalm 91
- Psalm 23
- Jeremiah 29:11
- Philippians 1:6
- Romans 15:13
- Proverbs 3:5-6
- James 4:13-17
- Matthew 6:25-34
- Isaiah 41:10
- Psalm 56:3
- 2 Timothy 1:7
- Deuteronomy 31:6
Trusting God
Oh, as far as our trip to Belgium, we realized we could spend the time worrying, or we could trust God for the outcome. We decided to put on faith in God and spent Thursday sightseeing. God got us home safely on Friday, and we have some fantastic memories. Once again, God proved His faithfulness to us. And He will continue to provide for us during these difficult times. The road may not be easy, but He will walk it with us. Psalm 23:4 assures us, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
Blessings,
Yvonne M Morgan, #Blogger, #Speaker, #Writer
Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
100% of the proceeds from sales of my book, Turning Mountains Into Molehills, go to help the orphans at Orphan Relief Effort, Inc
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Wow! I love how you live out your faith. Great hope in the verses you’ve quoted here. God bless you, and stay healthy!
You too Lisa. Thanks for your encouragement
I love this, Yvonne. And the verses are really helpful. God bless you!
Thanks Jessica. Stay safe and God bless
Thank you for sharing these Scriptures. Worry is consuming. I am thankful to find comfort in God and His Word.
Me too. Thanks for visiting and commenting. Stay safe and God bless.
OH my goodness! I love how you stayed to enjoy your vacation. I can say that I’m one whose life didn’t change all that much because, as a caregiver, my pantry and fridge has to be stocked with healthy food. Although TP has been a hard find. LOL. Also, we are kind of housebound already. But like you said, life can change in a blink of an eye. You have beautiful insights and encouragements. Sharing all the scriptures you found. Thanks.
I will be praying for you Deborah in your role as caregiver during these difficult times. I also pray for you to find toilet paper too. Thanks and God bless.
I have bookmarked the verses you shared; definitely needing to spend more time in Scripture lately. This blog is so needed; we cannot live our lives paralyzed by fear.
Thanks Candice, our God is bigger than the problems of the world. Stay safe and God bless.
I agree that this situation will be hanging around for some time. Love the use of the Goff quote. You have such an encouraging message. Thanks!
Thanks Nancy. Please stay safe and God bless
What an experience! What a post! This is so timely for all of us, especially those whose lives have been uprooted and turned upside down emotionally, physically, professionally. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Melinda. I think the whole world has been impacted and it all happened in the blink of an eye. I am thankful God is in control. Stay safe and God bless.
Thank you for sharing, Yvonne, all the twists and turns that took you far and back home. I love this: “But, one thing never changes. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, never changes, and He never leaves us or forsakes us.” I love how you turned what could have been a huge disappointment, into a deep lesson of faith. Powerful message!
Thanks Melissa. It has taken many years to understand to trust God even in the difficult circumstances. Stay safe and God bless
Glad you were able to take your trip, enjoy it, and make it home. I like how you noted we can focus on the problems or God’s promises. So grateful Jesus is the same and never changes!
Me too and I know He will get us through this too. Stay safe and God bless.
Thank you for pointing us back to Scripture.
I am glad you found them helpful. Be safe and God bless