By Bekah, Co-host and Producer, The Wally Show
On March 13 of last year, my phone rang at 4 a.m., which is never a good sign.
“Hey, someone at the station has a fever. Why don’t you work from home today?”
The first case of COVID-19 had landed in our state about a week before. Because of my husband’s health issues and his lack of an immune system, my coworkers were being overly cautious. I had no idea that I wouldn’t be returning to the office for an entire year!
Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing just about every angle of the pandemic: isolation, job loss as my husband’s industry shut down, and health scares (while we’ve been able to stay free of COVID-19, other health issues popped up).
Looking back on the past year is hard. Finding the bright spots in it – even harder. But even in the toughest times, I’ve been consistently thankful for a few unexpected blessings.
Never once did my coworkers question my need to work from home, and they’ve continued to show incredible empathy through every chapter. Add to that technology that made working from home possible. Sometimes, I forget to take the time to fully appreciate it!! Then there’s my community of friends who love me enough to let me vent. The effect of such grace can’t be overstated.
Finally – and this is really what I want to draw your attention to – God surprised me with peace I didn’t know was possible.
If you’re unfamiliar with my story, my husband’s chronic illness has overshadowed the past five years of our life, and its impact was obviously amplified this past year.
But in the worst moments – the darkest times when I wasn’t sure I was going to survive – God intervened with peace. The more He did, the more I began making it the theme of my prayers – asking not for answers, but comfort.
It’s like the line from the song “Symphony” by Switch…
“Cause even in the madness, there is peace drowning out the voices all around me. Through all of this chaos, you are writing a symphony.”
You see, hard times and peace are not mutually exclusive. And even though life is far from feeling normal again, God continues to surprise me with His peace. I pray He does the same for you.
