... and then came COVID-19...

Life was going well.

I had been searching for years and it seemed that, at the start of this year, God began to bring the missing pieces of the puzzle that is my purpose together. I rolled out my blog in January and began writing my first book in February (shameless plug, lol… stay tuned). I celebrated 7 years in business on March 18th of this year. My salon business was doing better than ever… and then came COVID-19.

Although many in my industry anticipated this shut down, none of us would have thought it would put us out of work for longer than a couple of weeks, much less 30 days. But here we are, exactly two weeks into this shut down, with more time on our hands than we probably know what to do with. We have more time for mindless browsing through our social media timelines. We have more time to listen to the branding specialists and business coaches strongly encourage us to use this time to pivot and strategically create money-making content. We have more time to reconnect with old friends, spend time with our families, and learn new recipes. More time to just be.

In a matter of weeks, COVID-19 has managed to shake our world and shift life as we knew it. Children are out of school and having to be taught virtually. Many parents are having to juggle being employee and teacher at the same time. Teachers are proving (yet again) why they deserve so much more than they are given, while many others have been laid off, fired, and otherwise forced into unimaginable situations. The media is doing its job leaving some fearful, others nervous, anxious, and many only partially informed. But with all that’s going on, in lieu of all the directions my focus could be pulled into, I have not been able to shake the notion that there is more to this than the eye can see… and I don’t mean that in a conspiracy theorists type of way.

The emotional effects of the pandemic are very real. I would never make light of that. In fact, I have been out of the salon for 2 weeks and my primary source of income has been temporarily cut off until further notice. Three people I know personally have been infected and very transparent about their journey to healing. That said, I wholeheartedly understand the many emotions you may be experiencing. However, I do find it interesting that the timeline of this pandemic has intersected with that of Passion Week… the same week that the church collectively reflects on the death and resurrection power of Jesus Christ. Many preachers, pastors, prophetic voices, and believers have expressed a number of revelations about the purpose of this time. All of which are centered around one thing… Jesus Christ.

In the midst of the viral pandemic that has shaken our world over the past few months, I believe the church at large is also being shaken up. In a day when it is so easy to become consumed by church culture, I believe God has allowed us the opportunity to shift our primary focus back to what is most important… and that is Jesus Christ.

This “shaking up” is uncomfortable, unexpected, and different for us all; BUT in the shaking I believe those things we have allowed to settle at the bottom of our list of priorities are making their way back into the entirety of our existence. Dormant prayer lives are being reignited. True relationship with Christ is being awakened. New strategies for discipleship are being developed. As a result… we are seeing Christ exalted Over Culture.

Now you may be thinking: All that sounds great for the church but what about me as an individual? How do I exalt Christ when I’m faced with fear, anxiety, and uncertainty? Well… when the media says be afraid, Christ says He did “not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.“ (2 Timothy 1:7) When your present state says be anxious, Christ says “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6) When culture says hustle your way through this pandemic, Christ says He will “bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8) We don’t have to understand the how we just have to trust Him and take Him at His Word. He is not a man that He should lie, nor the Son of man that He should have to repent. So when He said He would never leave you, nor forsake you… that included during the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020. When He said He would supply your every need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus, that included your needs being met during a time when others may be lacking.

Be encouraged Beauties! There will be Glory after this!!!