Today was a “donut day” in Victoria, the first in three weeks. This means that there were zero new recorded COVID19 cases. Twitter will tell you two things about these “donut days”;
1) Donut days prove we are the gold standard for tracking, tracing and keeping on top of COVID19 infections
2) That the “donut” is a short-lived and fleeting achievement, which also breeds an obsession with an unattainable “zero covid” goal.
In the hours after this blog was published, a lockdown was planned and implemented due to mystery cases and a growing list of exposure sites. Victoria has since had this lockdown extended with an added curfew. Sydney's cases continue to climb daily despite an ongoing lockdown and increased police and defense involvement.
Australians know the anxiety, boredom, fatigue and hopelessness of repeated lock downs and restrictions. In other countries where there have been higher rates of infections and deaths, such as South Africa, the UK or the US, the emotions are more akin to fear, grief and anger towards leaders who have allowed the spread to occur.
Wherever in the world we are, we can tend to put our hope in material things, a 70 or even 80% vaccination rate, the end of COVID deaths, conspiracy groups being convinced of their folly or just travelling to see family again. These hopes may be unrealised for an indefinite amount of time and depend upon deals with big pharma, fallible leaders and events completely outside of our control. These hopes are also far too small.
A few months ago I was feeling completely exhausted and at capacity. I felt one more small thing would break me, but then the small thing came, followed by a big thing. I had to face the truth, that I was hoping for trials to stop happening. I wasn't hoping in a good God to carry me through them.
James 1 says that trials are not to be dreaded:
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
At the time of my realisation, the thought of finding trials “pure joy” was too much, but I remembered a quote from a book I had read by Rachel Jankovic years ago when in the throes of parenting a baby and a toddler.
“If motherhood had a pain scale like they have at the hospitals, about the time you’re screaming, “Thirteen! Thirteen!” you have to start over and accept the “new normal”, the “new one.”” (Jankovic, 2010)
In our case, we need to count each trial as the “new zero”, that baseline where we decide to trust God and what he’s doing. This is not to say we count each new struggle as a zero on the pain scale. Rather we recognise that life is filled with 'trials of many kinds' - the new zero is to understand this will be the case regardless of whether we have donut days, or days of cases in the thousands. But we resolve to live with this "new zero" - a place of increased trust in God in spite of circumstances.
May God give us all the strength for today, as each day has “trouble enough of it’s own”.
If this article makes you aware that you are struggling, reach out to a City Bible Forum team member, or phone one of the many professional services available:
Lifeline 13 11 14
Mensline 1300 789 978
Kids Helpline 1800 551 800
beyondblue 1300 224 636.
Reference:
Jankovic, Rachel, 2010. "Loving the little years: Motherhood in the trenches", 2010. Canon Press.
Photo by Lucas Pezeta from Pexels
