Unusual days call for an unusual post.

Most likely you are reading this from your home. Good.

If you find yourself in one of the “hot spots” here in the United States and the news keeps getting worse, more intense, more foreboding, please know that there is at least one person sitting at a desk in Oregon praying for you, your situation, and your anxious thoughts.

My pastor husband and I are spending a lot of time together. He’s home a LOT. That’s sort of my norm and I’m comfortable with it. I know how to putter. He, not so much. It’s a struggle to keep him housebound, not at his office, not running errands, not doing, doing, doing. He’s getting a crash course in puttering and I’m gonna win him over to it yet.

So here we are. And there you are. On one hand it is quiet. There is emptiness. Slowness. Activity is erased from the calendar. Schedules cleared. We stare at faces on computers and conduct our lives in virtual space. Walk the dog. Wear pajamas more than we should.

Then come the agitations . . . fears. Not just made-up ones, but up close and personal and this-is-really-happening types of fears. Health of family, friends, and self. Sudden homeschooling. Job loss. Small business survival. Savings evaporating. And the world at large . . . how will this shake down for all the exceedingly vulnerable populations around the globe? What can we do for them when we are just trying to keep up here at home? Are we safe from rogue nations and their opportunistic military views? On and on. News on the 24 hour cycle. The TV is our connection to the numbers, the instructions, the body count.

It’s deafeningly noisy. Not quiet.

May I speak to you as a friend? Or maybe a gentle unflappable grandmother?

The God of the universe sees. His care for you has not wavered because the story line has suddenly changed. He knows your need. He hears your prayer, whether spoken, whispered, or silent. His desire for good in the world is still paramount. He remains on the throne. Do not forget.

Each of us has different circumstances that can send us spiraling toward anxiety faster than we can imagine. Mine are separate from yours. Yours are not the same as even the people you live with. And friend, it is certainly not God who desires you to melt into them and give them their way. What a grand opportunity for the enemy of our souls to carve a wretched, crooked path into our lives during this time.

So our weak spots are different. Do you know what you and I do have in common, though, in the midst of all our dissimilar issues? The Way to rise above them. Not to make them disappear. No, often we have “stuff” that seems to remain whether we want it to or not, and only by the grace and strength given by our trust in God can we manage to live alongside it. With peace.

The times we have encountered these last weeks are challenging for us all. All of us. Every one of us. Millions are homebound. Millions are working at essential jobs. One particular essential worker near and dear to our heart is one of our daughters who is a registered nurse in the ICU. Talk about the prayers of a mother. . .

You know me and songs. You’ll often find them on these pages and I ran across one today that is almost brand new. It’s from the living room of an artist you may or may not be familiar with. It’s sweet and simple. Please listen.

And so that’s really all I have to say today. From our home to yours, we are with you, we pray peace over you, and we hope that today and always you will put your trust in God who loves and cares for you. You are not alone. He already knows your need.

Trust Him.

Much love,

MM (and Bob too)

Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!

2 Thessalonians 3:16 NASB