Why COVID was the best thing for me

If you are like me you are tired of reading about COVID. I apologize for adding to the overflow of COVID media but if you give me that chance I promise this one will be different. Yes, COVID has brought a plethora of negatives into all of our lives but have you ever thought about the positives? My guess is probably not because the world had programmed our minds to think negatively first and positively as a last resort. Below I share my story about how I challenged myself to look at the changes COVID made in my life in a positive light.

I have always found myself to be a pretty positive person. In 2020, I found my optimism challenged when the global pandemic and shelter in place mandates were issued. Although, the year started out pretty normal but would lead to some major life changes in my life. First of all, is that the event marketing world was put on a halt which led to me leaving my job. The second major change was that my husband was given a wonderful job opportunity that would lead us to move to Michigan from the Carolinas. This was a very big move for us! A move that would take us 700 plus miles away from our friends and family to an environment that we knew no one during a time when no one was going out of their houses. In a normal environment, creating a new friend group and community would have been no issue for me but with a global pandemic causing people to be extra cautious it would be an uphill battle to build a community.

I share all of this to say that everything had changed for me. To be honest, I was a little scared. I was not sure what my new adventure would bring, but I chose to be positive and see this as an opportunity. Maybe I am just crazy and I think many of my friends would say that is true but I felt God had something bigger for me. I had a lot of challenges in front of me but I choose to see them as blessings in disguise.

With my previous community of family and friends, hundreds of miles away and no longer working, I had a lot of free time on my hands. I need to decide what to do with that time. I knew I couldn’t just sit around doing nothing so I started by taking inventory of my life and looking to God for the right path to take. He answered with Colossians 3:23-24. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” God said to me, “Katie, it doesn’t matter what you do just do it for me”. Sounds easy right? Sure, but where would I even start? I once again turned to God for the answer, I opened my Bible, opened a book, listen to podcasts, fill all my free time with God’s word, His message, and His ministry.

What happens when you fill a cup with water? What about when you continue pouring into that full cup? It overflows and saturates everything around it! When I began to fill my life with God I couldn’t help but share what I was learning. I felt led to start sharing daily verses on social media. My passion for people and my professional skills in marketing were being used to further the kingdom of God and it felt great!

In Matthew 25 verses 14-30, Jesus shares the parable of the bags of gold. In the parable, there is a man who entrusted three of his servants to protect his bags of gold as he goes on a journey. The first servant was given five bags of gold, and he quickly went and put the gold to good work and made back five more bags of gold. The second servant was given two bags and he did the same as the first servant and made back two more bags of gold. The third servant dug a hole and buried the one bag he was entrusted with because he wanted to ensure it was kept safe. When the man returned and saw that the first and second servant had been faithful with the gold he said, “‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’. When the man saw what the third servant had done he criticized him and took his bag of gold and gave it to the first servant.

God is like the man in the parable, He gives each of us a calling and a mission that is directly related to who we are. If we prove that we are faithful in the small, He then entrusts us with more responsibility. The greatest thing about living your God-given calling… it doesn’t feel like work, it isn’t just something else on your plate. God gives you all of the abilities and resources to be successful. All you have to do is be a willing vessel to carry His mission forward. Calling looks different for everyone, for me, I feel called to use social media to build a community that puts the focus back on God in a time when many have turned away from Him. This is why I created My Christian Walk a virtual community. For others, maybe that looks more like be one on one with God and others or being a support for those called to be in the limelight. Whoever you are and whatever personality traits God has given you, you have a purpose and a mission. I challenge you to find it and live it out, I promise it will be worth it!

Over the past year, I have read a few books that have helped me recognize and developed my calling. If you feel that God is pulling and your heartstrings and asking you to be bold then I would advise you to take the time and listen to what He is telling you. It is better to be in God's will confused than to be on the outside of His will confused. Steps to getting started;

• Get quiet and take inventory of your life (see the Taking Inventory post to learn how to do this)

• Read scripture (Exodus 9:16, Jeremiah 29:11, Jeremiah 32:19, Job 42:2, Proverbs 20:5, etc.)

• Read books that will encourage you (i dare you by Joyce Myers, Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God By Mark Batterson, and Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety or a Life of Peace and Purpose By Rebekah Lyons)

• Talk to your friend and family about what God is telling you

• Be bold!

I don't want to downplay the effect COVID had on all of our lives but God is reaching out to all of us and asking us to lean on Him during this time. He is asking us to trust in His plan for our lives. Maybe you are like me and God is using the shutdown as a time for you to refocus and reconnect with the source of life Himself. I strongly believe that God allowed this pandemic to happen in order to show all of us that we are not in control and we have to rely on Him. I know that it sounds rash that a loving God would allow 3 million people to dies worldwide but that might be what it takes to get our attention.

"It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed." Hebrews 12:7-13

If you are reading this post, please know that I am very grateful to you! I feel very bless to have been given the opportunity to write this blog and share my story. Please continue to stick with me through this journey because I feel that great things are coming. My Christian Walk wants to walk beside you and encourage you in your calling, please let us know how we can help. God Bless!

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