There is a famously riveting scene in Godfather III that accurately captures how I”m feeling right about now. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the Godfather trilogy (Shame on you! I’m going to pray for you LOL), let me give you a quick overview. So….the main character is named Michael Corleone, and is the son whom his father hoped would avoid a life of crime and bring honor to the family name. But when his father is shot by some rival gangsters, Michael joins the family business, becomes its leader, and in so doing loses his soul. By the third installment of the series, he is on the verge of becoming a legitimate businessman but is forced to enter a dispute that will further enmesh him in criminal activities. He also correctly senses that this final action he must take will seal both he and his family’s fate. Now an old man, Michael is so frustrated by his ability to move beyond the clutches of his past, that he says “Just when i thought I was out, they pull me back in.”

That’s exactly how I feel about COVID:

Just when I thought the pandemic was.over;

just when I thought our lives would resume some degree of normalcy;

just when I thought my favorite stores and restaurants would reopen, have everything listed on the menu, have what I want in my size, and be fully staffed;

Just when I thought I could go back to the movies and even a concert or two;

Just when I thought I could travel with ease and comfort without the fear of sudden cancellation;

And just when I thought we could resume our weekly in-person worship services without fear of jeopardizing anyone’s health;

Just when I thought we were almost out,

OMICRON pulled us back in!

I’m laughing while I write this, but let’s be clear: this is no laughing matter. We are entering the third year of this crisis, and all of us are tired: we are zoomed out, door dashed out, and HBO Maxed out. It may take years for the full emotional and physical impact of this pandemic to be known. But it has affected each of us deeply, in all kinds of ways.

But in spite of all of its negative effects, I remain convinced that this crisis has also been a gift. Yes, you read that correctly. I derived this insight from a scintillating passage of scripture. Here is what it says:

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way
James 1:2-4 (MSG)

When we are bombarded from all sides with the tests and challenges of life, James instructs us to consider it a gift!

Wow!

Viewed from this perspective, this pandemic is a present! Seeing the crisis from this lens profoundly challenges and changes how best to view it and how to function in it. Understanding the pandemic from this vantage point, teaches me that even in the midst of this challenge, God is up to something.

But what exactly IS God up to? Among other things, he is causing us to gain some WAIT. Now almost everyone has gained some WEIGHT over the past few years. I recently read that the average American gained 29 pounds during the past two years. I don’t know if my weight gain was in the double digits, and I refuse to get on a scale to find out. However, earlier this week, I did have a conversation with my stomach.

ME: Is it me or are you getting bigger?

MY STOMACH: No comment.

According to the Centers For Disease Control, In the past year, four additional states have joined the existing 16 in which 35% or more of the population is obese. An increase in sedentary behavior, job and relationship related stress, income loss and mental fatigue are some of the factors driving this unfortunate trend. Gaining weight in our physical bodies is just one of the devastating effects that his pandemic has wrought.—and we all need to be be better stewards of our physical health. I heard one wise preacher say that even though the scripture says that body exercises profits us little ( 1 Timothy 4:8), we ought to get the little that it profits. LOL

But God has been working on another agenda during this crisis: I believe God has been helping us gain some spiritual wait. More than ever, I am convinced that one of things that God is producing in his children and in his church during this pandemic is the spiritual fruit of patience. This crisis has forced most of us to change our plans, alter our routines, and become comfortable with setbacks, shortages, and scarcity. I called one airline this week to make some changes to the a ticket, and was told that I didn’t have to wait, but that a customer service associate would call me back in 8 hours. LOL. This crisis has forced all of us to spend sometime in the waiting room.

I’ve spent a lot of time in waiting rooms. Whether it was waiting for my car to get fixed or for a loved one to come through surgery, they all look the same. And….you can’t DO anything. Most people try to read, but usually wind up taking a walk or going to get something to eat. Most of us don;t know HOW to wait. But as much as we all hate to wait, waiting is an essential component of any victorious life. It is a fruit of the Spirit, evidence of sanctified character, results in better decision-making, better relationships, better results, and long term success. The old folks used to say that the Devil is always in a rush. Part of what they meant is that it’s hard to achieve or experience anything worthwhile while hurrying about. You can’t get a filet mignon in a drive through restaurant. And if you do, be very concerned.

One of the gifts that God has given all of us during this crises is that it has forced us to wait. One translation of this scripture says that we should let patience have her perfect work! Instead of letting the pandemic work on you, realize God is using it to work for you!. God sends tests and challenges to work for us in 3 ways:

1. God works on us through test and challenges.

2. Then , God works in us by using the tests and challenges to develop much needed character traits.

3. Finally, God works through us by putting us in situations to showcase the new strength that he forged inside us during the tests and challenges.

In every test, God is at work

In every challenge, God is at work.

Through COVID, God has been at work.

God has been helping all of us gain some WAIT.

You should thank him.