About a month ago, I joined the ranks of the 60% in Singapore who have caught COVID-19. And in the past month, I have been learning once again what it means to slow down, what it means to rest, and what it means to rely on God and trust Him even as plans go awry. The thing is, I was supposed to be on leave 17-22 July, and I was praying about how best to use my week on leave. Needless to say, rest did not factor much into my plans.
But God in His good and perfect timing allowed me to test C+ just the day before I went on leave – so the week’s worth of plans went out the window and was replaced entirely with rest. And it was rest that I sorely needed. Even after I tested negative on 24 July, I was not back to normal. My voice was nearly gone, I got tired really easily, and I found it extremely hard to focus. It was as if my brain became mush within a week! And here was another lesson for me – that I’m not Superwoman, much as sometimes I’d like to be, and like Luisa (from Encanto) I don’t have to take on the weight of everything. With my distinct lack of ability, I found myself relying on God more, and trusting that He will accomplish His work even through my inability.
And so even though I am still coughing as I write this, I do so with thankfulness (yes, even for the cough). Thankfulness because God knew what I really needed and gave it to me, thankfulness because even though it looked like terrible timing from my point of view initially – after all, all my plans were wrecked – it was truly God’s good and perfect timing. Thankfulness because I know that God gives only good gifts (Matt 7:11, Jas 1:17), and this time of illness did turn out to be a good gift. And thankfulness, for the reminder that we are all in God’s hands, that God Himself will complete the good work He began in each of us (Phil 1:6) and in the Church, His people. And by the grace of God, we will get there; through the blood of Christ, we have been united and are now stronger together. May we continue trusting in God together as one community, knowing that God gives what is needed in His good timing, knowing that what God gives is good for us, and knowing that God will bring His people through the storm.