Encouraging Our Parents in the Midst of a Pandemic

by Brandon Read, Family Ministries Director

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”
Proverbs 19:21

December 31st, 2019 seems like a lifetime ago. As we prepared to usher in the new year, most of us looked forward to 2020 with great joy and anticipation. I’m sure for many of us, 2019 was a difficult year and we simply looked forward to starting over. We all entered the year 2020 with plans. Whether it was plans for traveling with family, new job opportunities, new relationships, etc. Whatever it was, the COVID-19 pandemic has hindered those plans in a major way. Here we are 8 months into 2020, and we are having to make other plans, plans for adjustment and survival. This is especially true if you are a parent.

With the start of the school year just weeks away, many of us are having to scramble to figure out what we are going to do with our children. Even with many of the schools developing strategies for reopening, can we really trust that our children will be safe? What about the rising number of cases in the state? What if my child gets sick? What if I get sick? Meanwhile, the alternative for many parents is to keep their children at home, but for a lot of people that isn’t possible when you work 40 hours a week and childcare costs can be astronomical. So what are we supposed to do?

It seems at this point that we have more questions than answers. This is quite the dilemma. It’s no doubt that this is a really difficult time for a lot of us. As the father or two school-aged children, my wife and I are having to make some tough decisions about our kid’s education as well, and this certainly has not been easy. One of the realities of living in a fallen and broken world, one that is affected by sin, is that things change constantly. There is nothing that is constant, consistent, or steady (ironically, other than change).

As believers, however, we have a solid, never changing, forever steady foundation to build upon. Plans change, people change, but God does not. When we read through the Scriptures, the message that we are repeatedly faced with is God’s faithfulness and His tendency to provide and care for His people over and over again. In the midst of a pandemic, with information and regulations that seem to be changing daily, and the many decisions we are having to make for the good of our families, we can easily overlook the sovereign and steady hand of God upon our lives. It is in moments of chaos and doubt that we must turn to God’s Word and remind ourselves of His love, His faithfulness and His commitment to His own.

As we continue to plan for whatever we face in the days, weeks, and months ahead, remember that God is your refuge, your strength, and your help (Psalm 46:1). I don’t know what God is calling you to do specifically, but I do know that He is faithful, and His purpose in all of this is His own glory and to draw people to Himself. Continue to seek Him and prayerfully pursue wisdom as you attempt to do what is best for you and your children.

As a staff, and as a church, we are continually praying for all of our families and children during this difficult and uncertain time. We hope that you remain encouraged and please reach out if you need anything at all.

You can reach Brandon Read, our Family Ministries Director, at bread@gospelcc.org.