“Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.’” Isaiah 58:9a
“Come to me all you all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
During this pandemic, we have come to realize that there are many people who are living alone. Persons who are widowed, divorced, students, workers, as well as couples all live alone for one reason or another. Regardless of age, for many of them this has become a time of great distress, producing feelings of sadness, depression and abandonment. Many end up with emotional problems, as confinement reveals the empty spaces in their hearts.
We all need someone in our lives, however, sometimes we have to face situations alone. Many would usually fill their time with various social activities, religious or otherwise, but the current health crisis prevents it. Being confined alone for a long period changes one’s reality and can lead to a mind filled with fears, worry and uncertainty.
Social distancing affects our emotional need. If you are experiencing these feelings, we would like to share with you the following tips:
- See confinement as a time to change, to be free from worries and fear. Apply the words of 1 Peter 5:7 to your life : “Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.”
- Use this time to heal and be better. Free yourself from the feeling of abandonment and from sad memories. Forgive those who hurt you, those who were supposed take care of you but didn’t or were not there for you. Remember that God is with you and He will always say to you, “Here I am.”
- List the points of anger and resentment you may have towards your parents and make a decision to forgive them.
- Write down the times where you needed help and those who were supposed to care for you didn’t. Today God is saying, “Here I am.”
- Write out a list of your fears and for each one declare: “He takes care of me, I let go of my fears.”
Write everything out by hand, one page everyday, but remember to analyze what you are writing. Let go of what you need to let go and forgive where you need to forgive. Begin to look at life joyfully; this is a time to be healthy. Ecclesiastes 3:15 says: “Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.” What a wonderful verse – this is a good time to be restored!
Remember that you are not alone. God is with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you. He is taking care of you. It is time for joy and victory because you will come out of this better than you started.
Covid-19 Response Team, Church of the Nazarene Mesoamerica
