Hello, friend. I pray this finds you and yours well.
Julie, just do your part. This seems to be my overwhelming thought for today. Midway through my morning, after our BSF Zoom call, the words “Julie, just do your part” continued to fill my mind. Am I doing my part? Am I doing what I can do in this COVID-19 pandemic? I’ve sat on this do your part thought ever since. So, naturally, I am inclined to bring it here. To write about it. To find and share some encouragement in those four words, just do your part.
We all have a part to play in this thing.
If there every was time to realize just how connected we all are, I believe that time is now. Goodness, even though this world appears to be huge (and it is!), it has become quite small in the wake of this pandemic. This virus has spread rapidly, all across our globe. And the reality is, what I do, even though it may be small, can impact people I may or may not know. What I do during this critical time can make a difference in the lives of others… for good and for bad. So, my part is important. And so is yours.
My part in this whole thing is to stay put and to encourage others from our rural Iowa home.
Friend, what’s your part? My husband, Bill’s, part is keeping things going in his role at work. My grown kids’ parts are similar to Bill’s, just on a different scale. A friend’s part is taking care of sick patients. My niece’s part is making masks for hospital workers. Not to mention, we all have a part in keeping our distance, washing our hands, avoiding touching our faces, and staying home if we don’t feel well.
President Trump extended our social distancing guidelines yesterday through April 30. We have a month, together, to make a big impact for good. To do our part. Our time is now.
Now is the time for you to do your part, and for me to do mine.
But, I’m guessing you’ve already been doing it. And doing it like a rock star, because that’s just who you are.
To be honest, I haven’t done my part like a rock star. I’ve complained. I’ve had days of bad attitudes and stinkin’ thinkin’. And yes, I’ve even had moments when I didn’t think I could stay at home one minute longer. But, I’ve had to force myself to remember this is just a season. It won’t be like this forever. It’s just for now.
Do your part and trust God with it all.
I’ve heard the saying, “Do your best and trust God with the rest.” But, I believe we can trust God with it all. So, we’ve been saying around here lately, “We just need to do our part and trust God with it all.” Because there’s so much that we can’t control. We do what we can control and trust God to control what we can’t. We can control being prepared, physical distancing, washing our hands for 20 seconds. Yes, we can even control not making as many trips to the grocery store. We can control a lot, but we can’t control everything.
That’s when trusting God is a must. Otherwise, we can drive ourselves crazy with the stuff we can’t control. We can work ourselves into a worried mess. When we do, that’s when we act out of fear and throw our faith out the window. We certainly don’t want that, right? Trust is a much better option.
I love this verse in The Message translation:
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Proverbs 3:5-6 MSG
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Amen.
You and I don’t have to figure everything out.
We just do our parts. You do your part, and I’ll do mine. God is giving us permission to let go of trying to handle it all. He’ll do it for us, and He’s the One who will keep us on track. These aren’t my words, but His.
So, friend, keep on keeping on. Stay the course. Don’t give up. Keep doing the good that you’re doing. I promise I’ll keep doing mine over here, too. Together, we’ll get through this. And, thankfully, God is with us all.
Bless you!
P.S. As an added bonus, if you’re in the mood for some good news today, check out one of my favorite actors in his new production Some Good News! Thanks, John Krasinski!
Great post Julie! Thank you! My part right now is the obvious…hand washing, going out to work at the radio station where I continue to try to encourage our listeners with stories of what people are doing to encourage others and most importantly what Christ has done for us all. My other part is picking my son up from work at Walmart where I text him what I need since he can pick it up at the end of his shift if they have it. Keeps me out of the store.
Hi Kelly! It’s so good to hear from you, friend! Hey, how can I tune in to your radio station? I’m going to see if I can find it today. Thanks for sharing your part with us! It’s an important one, extending the hope of Jesus to your listeners. What a gift! I’m also glad you’re able to stay out of the stores since your son works at Walmart. Wish he could pick up a few things for me, too! God bless you and yours! Stay safe!
I think my mom is a lot like you Julie. She is having a hard time being still at home. Her normal life is BUSY, and she can’t understand how I can be content right where I am. But I am. I think my part is being an encourager to my family, friends, and church. I’ve also been trying to offer prayer for others. I love knowing that even though miles separate us, we are linked together by doing our parts!
I love how we’re all different, and how God designed us specifically. I understand where you mom is coming from, yet I’m learning how to be content at home. It’s a process, that’s for sure! You are a beautiful encourager, and I thank you for how you continue to encourage me!