Life update: Life in isolation

How has isolation been so far? Sobering.

It is extremely humbling to think that “life is a flash of lightning in the dark of night. It is a brief time of tremendous potential (B. Alan Wallace)”.

This period of isolation has shown me a few things:

1. First of all, life is too short. Time feels like it is going quicker than it was when I was younger.

I believe this is so because Jesus is coming very soon. In Matthew 24, Jesus talks about the end time and says that there will be wars, famines, earthquakes and diseases, etc. Jesus says that these are the beginning of birth pains. From that, we can infer that the time between the different events will become shorter and shorter.

Jesus doesn’t stop there, He says that for the sake of His chosen people, the days of hardship will be shortened (Matthew 24:22). This means that time will become shorter so that people don’t have to experience so much pain.

2. The second thought I had was: “people are dying, people are ill, and there is little I can do about it“. This is something that hit home when I heard about escalating deaths due to covid-19, in my country and around the world. It was something that was out of my control and I realised that I don’t always have the answers.

Although I came to the conclusion that there was little I could do about the situation, I realised there were ways that I could help others and encourage them. One of these ways was through calling and contacting friends and family to make sure that they are safe and well.

Some people may think that isn’t a big deal but others are seriously struggling of loneliness during this period of isolation. For example, a friend of mine was feeling extremely low and needed someone to talk to so I spoke to her and suggested that she contacts the mental health team.

Another way you can encourage others is through sharing positive things with others and encouraging them to realise what they are thankful for. Paul recommends in Philippians 4:8 – And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

It’s easy to get caught up in the negative when you hear people falling ill at an alarming rate and witness people dying from a horrible virus, but it’s possible to have some peace and joy when you realise that God will see you through the hard times and you shift your focus to the positive things that are in your life.

This can be your health, your family, having a sound mind which helps you make decisions, having knowledge, integrity, being able to forgive, perseverance, and many other qualities that all come from God.

It made me realise that covid wasn’t just affecting others, it was also affecting me. I had the power to chose how I was going to react to the situation. My option was to either panic and believe that I won’t survive this period or I could claim God’s promises and believe that He is with me and my life is in His hands.

Although I was struggling with anxiety, this time brought me to want to seek God more and overcome my fear of not being able to make it.

I had to remind myself, I may be isolated from the world but I am not isolated from God.

I start my day with God by praying and studying the Bible, I try to keep a song in my heart by listening to uplifting gospel songs. Additionally, I spend time doing things I enjoy such as workouts, playing instruments, writing, etc. By keeping my mind occupied with things that are meaningful to me, I am able to feel more hopeful that even if I lost my life during this period, I would have spent my time wisely and when Jesus comes, I will be able to see Him and spend eternity with Him.

My question for you is, “What has isolation taught you?”