Trust and Follow God
By Janine Carrero
God has a perfect plan for our lives. Though at times we may feel as if we are blindfolded and cannot see where we are going, we must have faith that He is with us always. We should not fear the unknown and instead embrace every step of the journey knowing that should we come under attack, stumble, or fall He is ready to help us get back up and continue on the path to purpose. Never had I needed to keep this promise embedded in my heart more than I have during the pandemic.
“Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – The Message
“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”
Philippians 4: 6-7 – The Message
These scriptures have been fuel as I journeyed through 2020 and now find myself on the scenic route in 2021. I knew 2020 would be insightful, but nothing could have prepared me for just how eye-opening and life-changing it would be for so many people at the very same time across the globe! Daily we were faced with the very real threat or reality of losing our job or worse losing a loved one. The issues that already had us living with constant stress and anxiety were now elevated as we adjusted to the new norms that would save our lives and the lives of others. And as if this were not enough to deal with, heightened racism and political differences have divided our beautiful country and fractured close relationships within loving circles of friends and family.
At first, I felt like my family and I had been cast in a limited series medical drama when our physician warned us about needing to stay home until a vaccine was made available. However, as days turned to weeks living in a house where both my husband and I were high risk I began to panic. While I was concerned for myself, it was the sheer terror of exposing a loved one that took my stress and anxiety to new levels. Every time I experienced symptoms my heart broke at the need to immediately distance myself from loved ones while awaiting test results. The endless ride on the elevator of emotions while unable to hug and kiss my husband and boys was indescribable. Praise God we continue to be coronavirus-free, and I am incredibly thankful for how He used my husband and boys to put a genuine smile on my face so big that even a mask could not hide the hope they gave me with air hugs and air kisses from across the room. Then I got laid off making my husband’s disability check our primary income. At this point, it would only seem logical that these flames of fear would grow into a wildfire. After all, the purpose I associated with my job became a dead matter that could ignite the surrounding areas of my life with bitterness and depression. But instead, overnight the flames of fear were blown out like a candle when all the uncertainty had been replaced with complete trust that God had my back.
With all its chaos 2020 and beyond has also been filled with an abundance of blessings. The opportunity to pause or simply slow down is a beautiful gift that many of us would have never experienced had it not been necessary. This in turn helped many of us focus on the things that really matter and yet were being neglected.
For me, it was my overall health being neglected. This impacted my ability to give my best to God, my husband, my boys, and all those put in my path. In spending time with God and striving to transform in Him, I have been able to learn to care for myself first to truly take care of my family greater than any paycheck ever could. I have been able to help my boys overcome e-learning struggles and lead by example around the importance of perseverance when on the roller coaster of life. Today I am no longer a diabetic soda junkie glued to a desk and chair. I now crave water, walk for miles a day while talking to God and have the confidence to pursue the life He has for my family and me. So, to say that I cheerfully thank God for the disruption of a layoff is an understatement!
The intimate way God knows us and loves us nonetheless is a priceless gift. As such, I was incredibly saddened by my choice to engage in giving in to the world’s influence over my mind, body, and spirit at different times during this pandemic when our faith should consistently be at an all-time high. But in knowing I am far from perfect I am humbled by His grace and the chance to embrace the gift of His love. It was for this very reason the hours after I had been laid off resulted in the realization that this vicious cycle of insanity has had a costly price tag of deterring me from my calling and I was simply no longer willing to pay this price. My exhausted heart needed God. My overactive mind needed God. My heavy legs and numb arms needed God. I was walking on dental floss and before it snapped and I fell, I made a choice to live my life on purpose. From that moment I knew I no longer wanted to waste another minute of the time, He has plans for me. And I pray that all who know Jesus, young and old, would displace worry with God knowing our days are numbered.
More than the paycheck needing to be replaced, I miss serving the most. For years, I served teams of people who for eight-plus hours a day did life with me in an office. And what would life be without sharing God’s love in both words and actions as we strive for greater personal and professional success? So, with physician advice limiting my community engagement, I found ways to serve one person at a time helping in any way needed. But there is no substitution for serving in the community, so I eased my way back in by volunteering to help feed Tampa Bay. Then came Love Our City week and I knew it was time to get my family and I plugged back into serving and worshipping with our Crossover family. When Good Friday 2021 finally arrived, I spent over an hour on my knees in prayer thanking God for all He had been doing for us as well as giving Him everything that pained my heart including the lingering fears of covid exposure. Fears were replaced with great joy as we engaged in demonstrating the love of Christ that day. From the very first door, my family and I knocked on delivering free bags of groceries we were blessed with a great time of fellowship. Then celebrating His resurrection on Easter Sunday at an in-person service made the weekend even more special.
There truly is no prescription greater for anxiety and stress than Jesus. As chosen women of God, may we surrender our worries in prayer and never again miss the opportunity to discover, develop and display His purpose for our lives in every circumstance. And with the new chapter of 2021 in the book of our lives currently being written, may the events of this past year remind us that the only one we should be putting our trust in and following is God.
