I’m Tired Of This Pandemic, And Other Real Life Issues

Friend, can I be frank with you today? I find myself tired of this pandemic. This is where I am.

I’m tired of wearing masks in public. I’m tired of the pandemic always lingering in the back of my mind. I am tired of the present underlying fear that resides in much of society. But maybe most of all, I’m tired of the absence of normality.

Before I continue, however, this post is not a “downer” post. No. It is uplifting and encouraging, so don’t stop reading here. In case you are feeling similarly tired, it can be helpful to know you’re not alone.

We can remain encouraged, even if we are tired of this pandemic.

In fact, that’s what’s getting me through this season.

We are studying Genesis in Bible Study Fellowship this year, and just finished the account of Noah in the ark. I can’t help but feel a little like Noah. No, God didn’t tell me and my family to climb in the ark and shut me in. No, I am not floating in an ark with numerous pairs of animals (can you even imagine?) for approximately ten months. And no, I’m not blameless and righteous like Noah, either.

But, I counted today. As I write this, in eastern Iowa we’ve been maneuvering through this pandemic for 229 days. Yikes. Yes, 229 days of strangeness, of abnormality, of life turned upside-down.

I feel stuck in an ark of sorts.

I feel like I’m really not getting anywhere, but just floating along. Can you relate? I work from home now. In fact, many of us now work from home or find work in the public is dramatically different. We are learned new ways of living in this season. Some of us, like me, are grieving the loss of what’s familiar and are learning to embrace a new kind of normal. One thing is for sure, this pandemic season in our lives has not been easy.

Let alone how some of us haven’t seen our loved ones in months. Some of us found ourselves sick with the virus. Some of us have lost loved ones in the path of this pandemic. And some of us are doing all we can to avoid it.

I wonder if Noah, while in the ark, ever felt discouraged? Did he ever tire of waiting for the rains to stop? Did he ever grow weary of his circumstances? I wonder, did he grieve the devastation and loss that accompanied the flood? How did he keep His eyes on God as he and his family floated along? Did he ever wonder if God forgot about him?

Similarly, do we wonder if God has forgotten about us?

Has God forgotten us down here as we do our best to live and thrive amid a global pandemic? We may even wonder in our weary state, where is He?

Let’s allow Genesis 8:1 encourage our hearts today:

God did not forget about Noah and the animals with him in the boat. So God made a wind blow, and the water started going down.

Genesis 8:1 CEV

God did not forget about Noah, and friend, He hasn’t forgotten about you and me, either. God is with us in this. Scripture says time and time again how God will never leave us, how He is always with us, and how He loves us. We aren’t on our own down here. Certainly, just as He was with Noah on the ark, He is with us in this pandemic.

Does this encourage you as much as it encourages me?

So, even though I may be tired and weary of this pandemic, keeping my thoughts stayed on this truth helps me immensely. It gives me reason to continue to live in the hope I have, to continue to look for the good, and to continue to believe one day this will all be behind us. I pray it does the same for you, friend.

If you are tired like me, it’s okay. But let’s not stay there. May we continue to do what we can to stay encouraged, to lift others up, to be blessings and not burdens in this world, and to keep our eyes on our Creator. Especially in this trying season. God has not forgotten us. Join me in rejoicing in this truth today!

Much love,