20 Pieces of Hope

Full disclosure, I’m getting pretty tired of posting “list blogs,” but during this time when so many people are living in fear I thought it was the perfect time to share a list of good things that are resulting from the coronavirus. Quick disclaimer: Despite some of my language in this post, I’m in no way trying to belittle this virus or how it’s affecting anyone; I’m just trying to share the bright side of things.

1. This is not the first epidemic you’ve survived. Remember when you thought Ebola and H1N1 were going to kill you? Please take note of the fact that they didn’t.

2. God’s still God. He’s still sovereign. He still loves you.

3. The coronavirus has united our government. During a time of political polarization, this is a bipartisan issue where both sides of the aisle are actually working really well together. Multiple leftist governors have sincerely thanked President Trump for his aid, and Trump has given Chuck Schumer and other political enemies public praise for their handling of the situation. 

4. The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus is about to skyrocket, but don’t let that scare you. It only means we’re now better situated to accurately diagnose people and give them proper care than we were a week ago.

5. Introverts are loving the social distancing.

6. This is a wonderful opportunity to love and pray for each other. 

7. It’s the perfect time to get house projects done. And if you’re a parent, you get to teach your kids home economics homeschool style! 

8. God’s name is always most glorified during crises. Now when so many people have nothing else to lean on, they have no choice but to go to the Lord and ask for His salvation, both physically and spiritually. 

9. Hand washing has become fashionable again.

10. Most of us have more time to spend in God’s word and in prayer than ever before.

11. Shopping slots for the elderly exist now!

12. It’s estimated that 100,000 premature deaths caused by pollution will be avoided in China alone due to so many factories being shut down.

13. Thousands of visits to Planned Parenthood have been postponed, presumably giving those babies a chance to survive. 

14. World governments are now better equipped for future pandemics. 

15. We get a break from hearing news about the election!

16. Truck drivers and nurses are now more important to the average person than celebrities. 

17. We have an opportunity to surrender idols in our hearts. Whether it’s the World Race, your finances, or a sick loved one–you can now tell God, “Thy will be done” on anything you’re clinging to.

18. (Kind of a selfish one here) I got multiple amazing experiences out of this whole ordeal. Feeding the elephants with my squad, traveling for 35+ hours with some of my best friends, spending a day in the Middle East–none of these things would’ve happened if not for the coronavirus. 

19. We have some fun memories. Imagine telling your future kids how one man eating a bat in China caused a shortage of toilet paper in the United States. We’re all going to be laughing about this  before too long.

20. It’s only temporary. When God’s children are singing His praises for all eternity the last thing on our minds will be how the flu inconvenienced us for a few short weeks while on earth. Rather, we’ll be thinking  about our gracious and loving God who, even when we rebelled against Him and cursed the world with death and disease, chose to pay the ultimate price for our sin and gave us the free gift of entering a land without suffering.