COVID 19 ENCOURAGEMENT EPISODE 09

Hi, this is Chris Benjamin, the director for the Salvation Army Soundcast. We wanted to take this opportunity to share some additional messages of encouragement with you from some of our hosts from shows like One to Four's of Life and Heartbeat. We just pray that these are an extra blessing to you.

If they are, please share them with a friend. God bless. This is how I first felt about a half an hour ago when I heard that our governor canceled school for the rest of the year. But I have decided that I am going to reinterpret and redefine how I'm going to look at this. The other day, I came to work and, you know, my time has been really, really precious because I've been trying to balance the whole homeschool thing with all the demands here at the core. And I just feel like I can't waste a single second.

And I've been worried about that. So the other day, I came to work and realized I had left my computer at home. About a 15-minute drive back to get it. It's not that bad. 15 minutes to go get it and then come back again.

And I was frustrated because that's a half an hour lost. And then I thought, no, I'm not going to let that happen. I'm going to decide to use this time in a godly way. What could I do? What would God have me do?

What's a good idea? So I was able to go on Bluetooth and make two very important pastoral calls. So that was good. I was initially upset, but I decided, no, let's redefine this time. Let's rework this. Let's make it work.

And it was wonderful. So I'm trying to take on that attitude today as I find out that we will continue to homeschool for the rest of the year. And I don't even know what entirely that's going to look like. But how can I reinterpret, redefine, rework this so that it's for the benefit of the children, for the benefit of my family, and so that we're happy and we're okay? So really, that is what God does with us, right? I mean, everything about my life and your life in Christ has been redefined, reworked, reimagined, re-re-re-everything, right? It's been made wonderful by Christ, even though it started out one way. He reworks us and shapes us into the image of Christ, right? The Holy Spirit works in our lives and designs us to be imitations of Christ over time.

So that is what He has always modeled for us, everything being recreated, everything problematic being made beautiful and good. So here's my challenge to myself and to maybe some of you out there too. How can we take this thing?

For many of us, it's the homeschooling thing and the fact that our kids won't be going back this year. How can we take that or whatever other challenges opposed to us through this whole COVID-19 time of isolation, social distancing, how can we reform that into something beautiful and good? God is never short of ideas, and He always makes good things out of bad things.

We know that from Romans 8.28. So get creative. Let's share. Let's think. If you found out a way to take a bad situation related to this whole ordeal and make it good, I'd love to hear about it. Let's redeem this time for the sake of Christ. God bless you.