Port Ann Wesleyan Youth Group 3/18: God’s calm guidance in coronavirus craze

Hello, and welcome to a modified way for the Port Ann Wesleyan Youth Group. Sorry we couldn’t meet in person, and thanks for being flexible for the time being. We will re-evaluate everything for teen Sunday school and next week’s youth group as we move forward.

I know there is a lot of uncertainty. Michelle and I have been through quite a bit of weird times that threaten our ability to be at church, but unfortunately this is unlike anything any of us have experienced so far. I wish the situation was a simple as a snowstorm or temporary power outage.

We greatly appreciate our weekly gatherings with the group — you each inspire us with your genuine concern for others, thoughtful prayer requests and the fun we have with various activities, verses, lessons and songs that help us draw closer to God.

Obviously, no one really knows what happens next with the coronavirus … no one, that is, besides God. He not only knows what will happen, but stays by our side through it all. In a time where everyone is being told to isolate, it is nice knowing that as Christians, we never are truly alone. A good reminder of this is Matthew West’s new song, “The God Who Stays.” Take a few moments to listen/watch again:

On Monday, Samantha and I met up with Caz Russell (the guy who spoke at our church for Sportsman Sunday with his dog, Huck) to take our first trial run in the new (used) boat we recently got via work. It has been a very long time since I was out on the Susquehanna River — the last time was when I was in high school. In other words — a very, very long time.

There is a really bad picture of Samantha, Caz and Huck waiting in the boat for me to get in before the maiden voyage. We were at the Chillisquaque boat ramp near The Fence restaurant south of Milton.

The engine was running rough — this was the first time it was run in water since probably last summer. I also don’t have a marine battery yet, so the electric trolling motor which normally backs up the gas engine was not an option. Worse yet, Caz moved to the front of the boat and insisted that I sit in the back and drive. I was terrified!

The water was extremely cold yet … if we went overboard or the boat sank, things likely wouldn’t have ended well. The river was choppy, partially due to a cool breeze that kept coming in. Debris along the edge combined with a swift current could easily combine to cause certain doom. I started to imagine the headline in Tuesday’s Daily Item: “New Riverkeeper crashes boat, needs rescued on first river trip.”

I prayed before the boat ride and numerous times while I swiveled the engine and tried to guide the boat safely downriver.

Caz, however, was calm. Each time the engine sputtered, he would guide me with how to tweak the choke to keep it running. When the engine did stall a few times, he didn’t panic.

We went downriver about 100 yards, and it got a lot less scary. That is , until the engine started sputtering some more and cut off a few additional times — it obviously needed tuning. Caz swapped me seats, got things running and safely navigated us back to the boat ramp.

I quietly prayed a thank you to God for the safe return, and for Caz’s calm in the midst of my internal storm. To me there were a lot of lessons learned in that 20-minute river tour … things that apply to our spiritual response to big scary situations like coronavirus.

What were some ways I could have cut down on the anxiety of the trip?

Obviously, I could have been much more prepared. I could have had the engine tuned beforehand. I could have found a marine battery and had the trolling motor ready to back us up if the gas engine failed.

What are some ways we can be more prepared for the uncertainty of the coronavirus scare? There is a lot joking online about people hoarding toilet paper and groceries, and some of that has definitely gotten way extreme. However, there is some security — some mental peace of mind — in having some supplies on hand. Michelle has provided that wisdom in our family. She has us ready if things shut down any further.

Spiritually, we can always be more prepared, too. Reading our bibles offers a nice anchor in a rocky storm. Knowing verses that calm us when things seem to be getting out of control is a very important tool. One of my favorite is from Isaiah 35:4 (NIV):

Say to those with fearful hearts,

“Be strong, do not fear;

your God will come,

He will come with vengeance;

with Divine retribution

He will come to save you.

Combine the power of that verse with a mental picture we typically get when reading from Matthew 8:25-27 (NIV), where Jesus is sleeping on a boat with his disciples when a storm rolls in:

The disciples went and woke Him, saying: “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

He replied: “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

The next time we feel frantic about the coronavirus situation, let’s conjure up that image and Jesus’ response to his disciples!

The other main lesson (there are others, but I want to get to my main point) from my river experience involved Caz directly. He remained calm. He offered guidance. He didn’t jump in and pilot the boat from the beginning (he could have, and I would have gladly given him the opportunity), but instead put me in a position to learn the most from the situation. It wasn’t the easiest place for me to be, but it was where I needed to be.

God, again, has our backs through this coronavirus situation. He is in our boat during this storm. He could easily wipe out the coronavirus situation with the snap of His fingers — just like Caz could have taken over pilot duties from the start — but instead, God has lessons for us to learn from this. We can use this time of chaos to become better Christians while shining God’s light to a community that sorely needs Him.

I know I have used videos from Allen Parr in youth groups past, and I wasn’t specifically looking to him for this lesson. However, this video popped into my feed yesterday, and think there are a number of good points Allen shares from the book of Philippians, the life of Paul and how we can respond to this current issue.

So, in this time of uncertainty and fear, let’s encourage each other more than ever. Let’s lift each other up, knowing that God has our backs through this time and remember that it is our job is to show others the confidence God has placed in us. He is in our boat, He is there to guide us on a possible rocky journey and He knows the moment to jump in and “take the wheel” if we need Him to rescue us.

For homework, since you likely have some additional time during this shutdown period, I’d like everyone to read the book of Philippians that Allen Parr references in his video. It is only four chapters long, and full of some pearls of wisdom that can apply today.

Prayer-wise, I debated sharing the ones that many of you bring up each week here, but also know that this post can be seen outside of our normal circle of people and I wanted to be mindful of what we shared. You know those requests, and I ask each of you to spend time in prayer every day for the requests we get on Wednesday night (not that you don’t already do so).

If you have specific requests that you would like to share with Michelle or myself … or need anything (even just to talk) during this time, please don’t hesitate to reach out via Facebook, email or by calling/texting 570-847-2718.

There are a number of good Christian songs that speak to today’s topic, but I’ll leave you with an older song we’ve shared previously … “Breathe” by Jonny Diaz. Have a great day and continue shining God’s light every day!