COVID Lessons

To be honest, my senior year was pretty tough. I felt jipped. I wasn’t ready to graduate or grow up but then the world fell apart from COVID-19. All of a sudden my senior year was gone. It was like I was stuck in the middle of high school and adulthood, I couldn’t move forward but I also couldn’t go back. There were so many things that I would never be able to do and I wouldn’t get that closure. It was so hard on me. One night I was feeling down about it, but in my virtual stake youth meeting one of the representatives talked about the reasons behind all of this.

It got me thinking, what does Heavenly Father want the world to learn from this? I thought about the law of consecration, I see people helping others who were running low on supplies that were hard to get. People giving and sharing without a second thought. I also thought about the 3 month supply that prophets and church leaders have been asking us to keep. Maybe Heavenly Father is showing us why it is important to have a decent food and supply storage, and preparing us for more to come before the second coming.

Some other things that I found people were learning to appreciate what they had. It was so cool to see families out on walks and getting along because they were all each other had. We did have technology and the ability to communicate with others, but we mainly had our families to interact with. I grew even closer with my family, especially with my sister who just moved back down. That’s another amazing thing I saw, families being united again.

Seeing all the posts on instagram and other social media of people from all religions joining in the fast and prayer, that hit me. It was so powerful. I realized that is what all this is about. Everyone coming together, despite all the different backgrounds. The Corona Virus affects everyone, rich and poor, it doesn’t matter religion or race, it’s something we all have in common, an enemy. Perhaps Heavenly Father is teaching us now how to unite against a common enemy for the final battle with the adversary.

Just like we protect ourselves from COVID-19 by staying away from certain places, washing our hands, wearing masks, and so on, we also protect ourselves from the influence of satan. We stay away from certain places or circumstances where we might be tempted. We cleanse our hearts as we take the sacrament and as we pray for forgiveness. And we read the word of God to help us avoid sin and temptations.

I don’t know exactly why all this is happening, but I know Heavenly Father has a plan. I don’t know what His plan entails, but I am excited to be part of it in these latter days. I invite you to trust in Him in these trying times and the times to come. He will lead you and help you.