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Are you old enough to remember dial up internet? It made this unique squawking sound every time you tried to get online. I remember vividly eagerly waiting to see if it would go through and connect to the wonderful world of the internet.

If that isn't your generation or jam, maybe you can relate with "your computer/phone needs to update." This process ALWAYS seems to happen to me on Monday mornings. I'm ready to start the week and get to work BUT my computer has to install it's updates first. 30 minutes later and I'm FINALLY ready to get to it. (side note- while I'm trying to write this blog my internet is being REALLY slow.....always best when the blogger is directly experiencing what they are attempting to teach)

Right now I feel like my brain is dial-up internet or installing an update.

There is so much static and noise going on in the world around us. Everyday there is some kind of news conference or dignitary telling of a new update of something else we can't do. It's exhausting. I catch myself saying 5 to 10 times a day, "I can't believe this is happening," or "this seems like a movie NOT real life." 

There is more going on right now in this world than my brain can process.

I feel like I'm downloading a file that is just TOO big for my brain to handle. 

So what do we do in a time like this?

As always for me, I NEED to get to Scripture. I NEED to get to God's Word. One of the MANY amazing things about Jesus is that He was one of us. Jesus was true human. Which means, Jesus knew what it felt like to be overwhelmed. Many times in ministry, Jesus is confronted with horrible diseases or crowds to thousands. Here are a few examples:

1. Luke 5:12-16- Jesus Cleanses a Leper^{- 12} While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy.^[b] And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” ¹³ And Jesus^[c] stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. ¹⁴ And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” ¹⁵ But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. ¹⁶ But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray 

2. Matthew 14:13-21- Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand^{- 13} Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴ When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. ¹⁵ Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” ¹⁶ But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” ¹⁷ They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” ¹⁸ And he said, “Bring them here to me.” ¹⁹ Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ²⁰ And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. ²¹ And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. 
Jesus Walks on the Water²² Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³ And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. 

Here are just TWO stories in scripture where we see Jesus needed to withdraw. There was SO much going on, so much loading in Jesus brain, that He needed to go away and pray. Even though Jesus is the cause of these dramatic miracles, He remains rooted in prayer and relationship with God.

Don't we need to keep coming to that realization now?

There is TOO much news and information to process at one time. We just can't do it BY ourselves. We need now more than ever to withdraw and talk to God. We need to withdraw and focus on the Bible.We need to do the things that help us keep balanced and allow our brain to keep properly processing everything going on around us.

IF you are one of the of the millions who saw Frozen 2, Princess Anna says a great line that is worth repeating. She focuses on doing the NEXT right thing. Sometimes when we are in situations like this, that is all we can do!

So what's the next right thing for you to do?

If you need some ideas, here are some thoughts: 

1. Stick to a routine. Go to sleep and wake up at a reasonable time.

2. Get out once a day, even if it's only into your garage.

3. Reach out to others. Even if you can't meet face to face, use technology for good! Dial someone up on the telephone...haha.

4. If you are around kids, enjoy them! Kids have a faith and happiness that we sometimes lose as adults.

5. Be patient with others and yourself. You haven't gone through this before so don't heap guilt upon yourself!

6. Keep bringing it ALL to God. You can and SHOULD show emotions with God. Get angry, get frustrated, be sad.......when we have real relationships with people, we show real emotions. Share those with God! 

That sinking feeling

Everyday we learn of a new reality. It began with a virus in a foreign country. Then it was crowds not being allowed at sporting events. Then it was sports itself being cancelled. Now in the last few days it's been all mass gatherings cancelled, grocery stores running out of product, and the fear of everyone "sheltering in place."

Everyday there is a new reason to get that sinking feeling. That wave of anxiety and worry that starts in your throat and spreads throughout your whole body like a wave. We are in uncertain times and our reality changes on a sometimes hourly basis.

And what makes it worse? Taking our eyes off of our savior. In the last few days I've noticed personally when i watch more television and coverage of this outbreak; that sinking feeling in me grows. When I am in the stores and see the empty shelves, that feeling of emptiness inside of me wells up.

My eyes aren't on God. Like Peter in the Bible, I feel like I am sinking. The story can be found in Matthew (also John & Mark),
²⁵ And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. ²⁶ But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. ²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
²⁸ And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³² And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³ And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

What sticks out me to is Peter WALKS on the WATER. He overcomes the doubt in his mind to walk on water. Even though Peter knows walking on the water is "impossible" (he isn't in the midwest in the winter either), he does it. But then Peter looks at the wind. Peter turns his eyes away from Jesus. He becomes afraid while focusing on the world. And what happens? Peter sinks. Peter gets the literal sinking feeling.  He is overcome by doubt and begins to sink downward.

In this moment though,  Peter puts his focus back where it needs to be, on Jesus. Despite the panic that must have overcome him, Peter calls out, "Lord, save me."

Jesus reaches out and saves Peter. He pulls Peter out of his own doubt. Jesus again reminds Peter that despite the wind, waves, and water, that God is in control.

In this time of that constant sinking feeling, we need to keep our eyes on God. We need to keep calling out with our voices to God. We need to keep realizing that no matter what we hear, God is still in control. This pandemic may be new to us, but God is eternal. God had been with this world through everything. God isn't going to socially distance himself from us. No matter how quarantined we might be, God will still be with us.

So as Peter did, when you are sinking, call out to God. The news is going to keep coming, the virus is going to keep spreading, but God is going to keep loving. Set your eyes on God. Right now, we need that as a daily and sometimes hourly reminder more than ever.