Calling Endurance!

Hello, Guys! Are you hanging in there? Please do. We are in unusual times. And although this is said over and over, it isn’t stale yet. We have to convince ourselves over and again that this is not a dream. This is reality. The whole world is locked down. This problem is not peculiar to any region or continent. It is universal. For the first time in our lifetime, the world shares a problem that defies money, race, language, or status. It is an event that we may never see again. So let us go through the experience with our eyes wide open, confronting our fears and trusting God to see us through it.

I can’t believe we are still battling this thing. At the time Nigeria encountered the Ebola virus in 2014, a few other countries were also threatened but it was quickly cornered and defeated, at least in the countries where it spread to from Liberia and Sierra Leone, where it was an epidemic. The spread didn’t get too far and the number of cases was nothing compared to what we now see. Nigeria defeated Ebola in 93 days. That was how long it took to get World Health Organisation clearance, that we were free of the virus.

The COVID-19 moved fast and before we knew it, it was a pandemic and every country had it. Anyway, we all know the story. And I am sure we don’t need me to rehash it. It is painful enough. It is in our faces. Our lives tell the story. The lockdown, job losses, multiple deaths tell the story. The fear going round tells the story. As we watch the numbers daily, we are all just waiting for it to end; hoping for a drug that works or any solution from whatever source.

Meanwhile, life must go on. If we are still alive, we better get on with the business of living. With the recent massive lay-offs, the fear of hunger has increased the pain and disquiet of many. Where do we go from here?

We must be patient and embrace endurance. This too will pass. It won’t last forever. Although it looks like the coronavirus has taken over our lives completely at this time, it is just passing through. It is not here to stay. We will look back on these days and marvel at the level of fear and helplessness we allowed ourselves to wallow in. It will definitely pass. Things will get better. We may be running a marathon. Marathons can be long and winding but they eventually end. The longest marathon ends. This will end. Some day soon, hopefully, we will celebrate the end of this era. We will embrace the new normal and get living again.

Then, we will arise and shine. We will not allow ourselves to be detained by the troubles we have gone through. We will, by God’s grace, shake it off and look to a new future. And what a future it will be! We see the signs already. Old things are passing away. New ways of doing things are emerging. We may never go back to the old ways again. Our perspective must shift to embrace the new. Instead of mourning the past, we will put our hands in God’s hands and march towards the glorious future He has prepared for us.

Have you forgotten? He is perfectly in control of everything happening now. And although we don’t understand it, we trust Him to make everything work out for good. “Let us hold tightly without wavering, to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise” (Heb.10:23 NLT) At the end of it all, we’ll be okay.

So, what will get us from here to there? It’s called endurance. Other relevant descriptions are stamina, staying power, determination, tenacity, doggedness, grit, fortitude. Lacking any of these? Ask God to give you what you need. This is the time to get oil in your bottle, in addition to the oil in your lamp, and keep forging forward. Keep your heart positive and hopeful. Be of good cheer, we will overcome!