A third wave: When will this be over?
The news of Malaysian families waving at their loved ones in Singapore from a yacht really broke my heart. Covid-19 means many have been separated by the JB-Singapore Causeway because borders have yet to fully reopen. Videos of children waving placards like ‘I Miss You Daddy’ brought me to tears! It made me think, when will all this be over?
How long, O Lord?
Malaysia is currently experiencing a third wave of Covid-19 cases. In January, some thought it was a influenza-type outbreak that would pass by swiftly. By March, the nation was under lockdown. By July, we emerged in stages after flattening the curve (shouting “Freedom!” in our hearts). Now it seems like the cycle is repeating itself… with no end in sight.
>>READ: Fear, Faith and Coronavirus
Covid-19 has often been described as “unprecedented”, a word that means never done or known before. It is simply uncommon, unheard of and out of the ordinary. But surely God, in all His infinite wisdom, knows everything and all things? Since our woes began in March, I’ve been meditating on three things below:
1. I know the future is uncertain
Nobody but God knows what will happen tomorrow. Like the rich man who made plans to build bigger barns, the Lord said, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you” (Luke 12:16-21). In such uncertainty, we must be absolutely certain of God’s unchanging character – that He still loves, is still in control and is working things out in the unseen. When things don’t go according to plan, I must surrender to God.
2. I must learn to wait things out
Waiting is never easy, even on a day-to-day basis. Waiting at the traffic lights, waiting for food at the restaurant, waiting for a Whatsapp reply. Not to mention the bigger things of life, like a job, a financial provision, a healing, a loved one’s salvation, or a life partner… Instead of being like the child who asks, “Are we there yet, are we there yet?”, let’s practise the art of waiting on God and cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).
3. I must not cancel on God
Hashtags like #cancel2020 are abounding on social media because 2020 has been a year of cancellations. I even saw a tweet recently about how there’s no need to buy a 2021 planner. Why? Because you can just re-use your 2020 one… But jokes aside, we must keep to our business as usual (BAU) in the faith department. This includes reading our Bible, praying and attending online church or small groups.
>>READ: Why it’s right to stop meeting physically for now
With the year coming to an end, many are wondering if all this will be over by 2020. Would we have to bring our masked and distanced selves into 2021? And like the families on the JB-Singapore Causeway, when will we see our loved ones again?
Whatever happens, let’s remain faithful and trust that God is still in control. future may be uncertain, but we can be certain of His love and His Word that never change.
Lord, help us to finish the year well and run our daily race with endurance. Give us patience as we learn to wait in times of uncertainty and crisis. We entrust our lives and our loved ones to You. Amen.
About the Author
Wan Phing Lim is a contributor to Our Daily Bread Ministries Malaysia. Born and raised in Penang, she studied Politics before turning to a career in writing. She loves coffee, books and films.
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