Yesterday as Stephanie headed out to the grocery store, I asked her to pick up a six pack of Corona. I joked that we should test it out as a vaccine against the virus that has confused many fans of the Mexican beer. 

On the spectrum of those panicking about
the Coronavirus versus those who have been nonchalant and
skeptical, I have admittedly had a tendency to lean towards the
latter.

Maybe it’s because the idea of being sequestered
at home makes me think, “What’s the big deal? That sounds just like
my life for the past few years.”

Maybe it’s because “working remotely”
is essentially the only way I’ve been able to consistently contribute
vocationally for years.

Maybe it’s because when the stock market
plummets, I don’t have years of retirement contributions to worry about disappearing before
my eyes.

But all that changed this week… when the NCAA cancelled March Madness.

Now the Coronavirus had my attention.

While I joke about “not being able to survive” without
my favorite event of the entire year, this particular cancellation highlighted
for me what my brain was gradually processing. It is easy to begin to feel
totally out of sorts now that numerous staples of daily life we are
so accustomed to are rapidly being called off one by one.

Travel. The education system. Entertainment
events. The sporting world. 

Even toilet paper seems to be threatened with extinction. (Update: This cleverly named product was the only one I could find still available for delivery.)      

So what are we left to do? Lock ourselves inside while rationing out canned foods, watching the news with bated breath about what might happen next?

Maybe there’s another option.

For many people, there are very real concerns
that come along with this global pandemic. But one thing I’ve learned since breaking
my neck and losing nearly everything that once seemed so important to me is
that, if we let them, situations like these can serve as a necessary reminder
of where we should be putting our ultimate hope.

When we put our hope in anything that is not sustainable on its own, we are setting ourselves up to be disappointed. In his book, “Counterfeit Gods,” Tim Keller addresses the subject, “Counterfeit gods if you fail them will never forgive you, and if you get them will never satisfy you… This is the only God that will: Jesus and his resurrection.”

Let’s examine a few of these areas:

Our money

Anxious about your 401(k) continuing to drop?
Concerned over the stability of your job in this tumultuous environment?

The world tells us happiness is found when
we acquire. Accumulate. Hoard. But this model is only
sustainable as long as the market doesn’t go down or our earning
potential doesn’t diminish in any way.

On the other hand, God offers us a rich inheritance that will never fade or spoil.

Our bodies

Paranoid when you notice a tickle in
your throat after watching the news? Contemplating a morbid future for your
physical health in light of recent events?

Best case scenario, the world offers: Peak
physical condition around the age of 20 before the slow gradual decline.

God offers: Resurrected bodies that will not fade or decay… Ever.

Our homes

Nervous about your mortgage payment?

The
world’s offer:
American Dream of homeownership (including mortgage payment, deferred
maintenance, and pressure to keep up with the Joneses)

God’s offer: An everlasting home in the city built and designed by God.

Jesus even assured his followers during his time on earth that he was leaving to go prepare a place for them in God’s house of many rooms.

Our leaders

Believe your political party has the solution you‘ve been waiting for? I sure hope not.

The world’s offer: Trump vs.
Biden/Bernie in the temporary kingdom of America

God’s offer: Jesus reigns as a perfect King in a kingdom that never ends

Our futures

The world’s offer: Retire
comfortably after a rewarding career; albeit with an aging body…if you last
that long. 

God’s offer: No more tears. No more pain. Paradise for eternity. 

Let’s all take a deep breath. 

Let’s stay proactive with what we can
control. Wash your hands. Avoid huge gatherings. Turn off the news. 

Beyond that though, how about anchoring our hopes and dreams to something that leaves no risk for disappointment?

Jesus implored his followers to build their lives on stable foundations. As a builder himself, he used the construction analogy of building a house on sturdy rock rather than flimsy sand.

Our hope in the future essentially boils down to the trust that good things are possible. And that is only sustainable by having a hope we can be sure of.

Let’s put our energy there.

---

To follow my journey via e-mail click here

I released a mini e-book to commemorate ten years since my accident. Check it out here

Have you seen my resource list? Hope this can