LIFE UPDATE DURING TWO PANDEMIC VIRUSES
We're living in a time where we are forbidden to leave our houses without masks. Social distancing and quarantine are still in full effect, whether or not you follow those guidelines. (I hope you are abiding by them.) Overall, we can all agree that this pandemic has fundamentally changed our lives and society's functions.
While trying to remain corona free, there's another form of virus plaguing our nation, racism. It has been an emotional whirlwind to formulate words to express or even to sanely speak on topics that have been affecting our black community. But remaining silent is NOT an option when you have a voice and a platform to contribute to and share what needs to be heard. As a black woman, raised in a Haitian household, born and raised in what we've considered a diverse, multilingual, and multicultural city, Miami, FL. I've learned and also experienced, not just for myself, but also through the lens of my black brothers and sisters that racism and inequality is a continual fight that the black community has faced every day.
As racism still exists and continues to prey on our black men and women, the call to action to protest, sign petitions, speak up on our platforms, while educating ourselves and others AND to vote, should be aggressively continued until we see change.
Amid the uncertainty and erroneous information often given on the news report, the number of people that have been affected and even died from COVID-19, the lives of unarmed black men and women taken in police brutality. So many emotions are boiling off of what is happening today in our nation, and as we all have seen, everyone responds to crises differently; fear of the unknown often stokes feelings of panic, doubt, and anxiety.
Life Update
As you all may know from my previous blog post, "Laid Off During the COVID-19 Crisis? Here are Six (6) Tips on Remaining Sane," many changes have been for the better. Thankfully, not too long after being laid off from my previous job, God opened a door for me to work remotely and to be financially stable. Even with losing my job early in March, as mentioned before, I was at peace and relieved when it happened for many reasons, and it also stretched me to trust God on a whole new level. Click here to read more about it.
Receiving the call
Late Thursday afternoon, I received a phone call from my uncle (my dad's younger brother), informing me that my dad hasn't been feeling well and that he had been admitted to the hospital. My uncle went on to say that my dad had been coughing non-stop and had been suffering from a high fever that wouldn't go down, despite all the medication he was taking. My heart clenched, and my mind was deluged with worry that my father had contracted the virus. I ended the call by reassuring my uncle that his big brother would be OK, and then I immediately went into prayer. I called my prayer sisters and asked that they keep my dad in prayer and me accountable. Let's keep it real: certain situations hit you differently when they involve the people you're close to. The way my thoughts have been running rampant these last few days, it was vital for me to reach out to close friends and family to keep me positioned in God, staying positive, and in my right mind. I also believe wholeheartedly what the scriptures say: "When two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20
Long story short, my dad was tested positive for COVID-19 and was immediately placed in ICU, where he remained there for five days because his respiratory system kept declining.
BUT GOD!
We continued to pray and believe that God would heal my dad. A few days later, I get a call from my dad via FaceTime. He was smiling and singing, with excitement in his voice, he said that they would be moving him out of ICU. His fever had subsided, and even though his coughing persisted intermittently, it was nothing like before. Most importantly, his oxygen level had improved from the time he'd arrived at the hospital. Although they're keeping him a little longer at the hospital to ensure that his oxygen level is at least 97%, God has already healed him.
What God reminded me during this process of expecting
When you're expecting from God, you must have faith despite what the circumstances may look like to back up what you believe God will do. How can you expect God to move on your behalf when there's doubt in your heart that He can actually move?
When you're expecting from God, prayer should not be your last resort — it is your first, and it is your most powerful weapon. No one goes unarmed onto the battlefield during wartime. Neither should one do so when confronting life's struggles or unexpected circumstances occur- the truth is, whatever we face in life is not a surprise to God.
Lastly, when you're expecting from God, I believe that God will surround you with the right people who will stand in agreement with you and even activate your faith. Y'all—it's OK to reach out to people you can trust to pray with you and FOR YOU. We CANNOT do life alone.
Thank you all for reading my life update. I'd like to know what you've been up to and how you are coping with everything happening in our world today.
