In This Unprecedented Season
by Suan Sim Selvan
16 June 2021
18th March 2020 will forever be etched in my mind as the the day that Malaysia and the WORLD went into a lockdown just because of a minute virus. The whole world was turned topsy turvy. This was the first time in my life experiencing a pandemic!! Our emotions ran high; fear, uncertainty, anxiety and impatience, frustration etc.
Conversations have centered around these topics; numbers, masks, temperature, social distance, sanitiser, online shopping , zoom, roadblocks, vaccine and working from home.
15 months have just flown by and are things very much different now?
Not really, but I suppose we’ve adjusted pretty well (some better than others) and are coping a little better than last year, having “accepted” this as the norm for now at least, not knowing how long this will last. We know this WILL come to pass, for all of us...soon we hope. We so long for normalcy again.
One of the most challenging things that I experienced was the inability to meet physically . It was terribly strange to me because I’m a very people person. I just love meeting up with people, I love having people around, I love catching up with my old friends, visiting people who are shut-ins, the sick , ministering to ladies on a one to one at a kopitiam (not always the best choice though), doing bible study in a small group. I just love PEOPLE.
It was so wonderful to be able to host the Lifezone (cell group) meetings at our home each Friday and subsequently on Sundays for about 3 months!
All these came to an abrupt halt when the pandemic struck and there were times that I’ve felt like I was living in a cave or an island except with connectivity.
Now, the I.T dinosaur like yours truly have had to learn to use Zoom, video call, Messenger call and Google Meet so that I can be connected with PEOPLE. I would grab every opportunity to have these meet ups when the restrictions are lifted!
As I look back at the past 15 months, I choose to thank God for these very good things; our family altar that I so treasure, precious family bonding time, the opportunity to be part of a Singaporean and Malaysian intercessory group specifically covering the COVID 19 situation in Asia, the multiplication of the LifeZones (cell groups) in our church from 3 to 9 groups, the unity of all the Malaysian churches standing so united in prayer combating the pandemic together and personal urgency to share the gospel to my neighbors by first sharing my testimony.
Amidst the gloom and uncertainty, I choose to see the GOOD that has come out of this crazy and unprecedented season and I echo the lyrics of the songwriter, Don Moen: "God Is good all the time!"
