Daniel Morrow

Jodi and I spent a couple of hours seeing our baby doctor yesterday. Specifically, this was a checkup where we had extensive time in the sonogram room, seeing our little Sutton in real time as she was being measured for a ton of different growth and development data. Side note: Seeing your daughter yawn inside the womb while on the sonogram screen is one of, if not the coolest experiences you can have!

As I watched our little Sutton on the screen I could not help but think of the state of our world amidst this COVID-19 pandemic. Sutton is living in her protected, quarantined, cramped living quarters, patiently awaiting the moment when she gets to take her first big breath of air outside the womb. While she is in the womb, she is being nourished, cared for, and carried by her loving mother who wants nothing but the best for her during this season. 

The reality is that most of us will very likely soon be living (if we are not already living) just like baby Sutton — protected and quarantined in cramped living quarters due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

What we do as life slows down throughout this time will ripple through eternity. The question is, what are you doing to make the most of it while you are there? 

If Christians across the world will take this time to seriously take a look at their lives, repent of idolatry, humble ourselves and pray, I believe we could be looking at an upcoming worldwide revival. How can we we make the most of our time while we are quarantined? Here are a few ideas.

Pray

Pray early in the day. Pray during the day. Pray late at night. Pray, pray, pray! Personally, my favorite prayer model is the ACTS prayer. In short, it is an acrostic that forms a simple road map for prayer: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. By simply disciplining yourself to pray daily  — by adoring Christ in prayer (God YOU are so good!), confessing your sins to Him (Lord I have failed in these ways…forgive me!), thanking God for who he is and what he has done, and asking Him to supply your needs and others — you will in turn be carving out intentional time to sit and converse with the God of the universe who in control, loves you, and has a purpose for you.

Read Scripture

The most common excuse I hear for not reading Scripture is time-related. Well now, more than ever, you have time — and a lot of it! Gone are the distractions of sports, busyness, and the general hustle of life. What if you settled in and spent a lot of time with God in His Word? I believe your life would be transformed!

Unplug from the screen a bit

Let’s face it — you are not going to find a lot of joy or hope on your screen in the coming weeks. Spending some time each day to stay connected and keep up-to-date is a good thing. However, if we let a screen dominate our day we will miss out on all God wants for us during this time. Unplug from your screens, spend some time with the people closest to you, and even go outside to breathe some fresh air.

Focus on your family

I am talking directly to parents here. This has been an awful disruption of normality. As a Student Pastor, my heart hurts especially for my Seniors in High School. With every passing day the promise of annual Senior activities fades away.  It is possible they may have spent their last day on their high school campuses and most would admit that hurts to think about. That being said, think of all the time families have to redeem right in front of them. Parents, you now have weeks, maybe months of time you would not have otherwise had to connect in deeper ways with your children. Take advantage of this time and redeem it for good! Lean in to the mess, emotion, and angst. Let your children know you are human and let them know most of all that you love them, regardless of what is going on in the world.

Ultimately, give yourself (and those around you) a little grace in this time. We are all living moment-to-moment, and things will be challenging at times. Take a deep breath, spend time with Jesus, and love each other to the best of your abilities. See you on the other side of social distancing!