Tag: coronavirus thoughts

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What have you learned from the Covid19 Quarantine?

My Quarantine version of Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
As I navigate the lonely paths of Covid19, The Lord will be my guide and His presence is all I need
Whether I think it is needed or not, I will use this time for rest and quiet reflection.
So that my soul can be refreshed
As He guides me where He wants me to be used bring Glory and honor to His name.
Even though I walk
through the valley of people wearing masks
I will fear no evil,
He gives my faith confidence so that I can go or do wherever He feels the need to send me.
Knowing even in self-isolation you are with me and won’t forsake me.
Like the shepherds’ rod and staff, your Word and the Holy Spirit will teach and comfort me.
Even in the midst of my adversity, You will abundantly provide all that I need so that I will it be afraid.
Like an anointing, You will bless and protect me from whatever evil that wants to prey on me.
You will fill me with your spirit so that cup of love you want me to share overflows.
I count and trust on the contentment of your love for as long as I am to live.
This assurance brings joy knowing that I will be welcomed and will forever dwell in the house that you went and prepared for me.


Quarantine is hard. I started writing this Friday. What happened to TGIF? Hello! Who else finds themselves asking, “What does it matter that is the weekend? It is another day just like yesterday and the day before, and the day before.” I then ask God, “in the midst of all that is going on, how am I to remain, “thankful in all things?”
A friend’s family recently spent a week on the eastern shore of Virginia for what I found out was their annual spiritual retreat. I loved the idea of it yet realized, that is something I have never intentionally done for an extended period of time. The key word I realized was intentionally because my circumstances have now provided two recent seasons of spiritual retreat. Last year, Guillain Barre Syndrome stopped me in my tracks physically. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/michaelguthrieThis year my Covid19 self-isolation due to my GBS compromised immune system has provided another 5 months of elongated down time for introspection of who I am before God. I read Isaiah 40:31 differently this week. “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.

Notice it says those who WAIT. Webster defines wait this way. “stay where one is or delay action until a particular time or until something else happens” or “a period of time used to indicate that one is eagerly impatient to do something or for something to happen.” I am sure all of us in some way or another are experiencing the angst of waiting. I hear folks say all the time, “if I just knew when this would all be over it would be so much easier to manage”. Yet wait in this verse means something much more. The Barnes bible commentary unpacks it this way. “The word rendered ‘wait upon’ here (from קוה qâvâh), denotes properly to wait, in the sense of expecting. The phrase, ‘to wait on Yahweh,’ means to wait for his help; that is, to trust in him, to put our hope or confidence in him. It is applicable to those who are in circumstances of danger or want, and who look to him for his merciful interposition.“He refers to those who were suffering a long and grievous captivity in Babylon but this phrase is applicable also to all who feel, because of this uncertainty, that they are weak, feeble, guilty, and helpless.” God says wait and trust in Me. Waiting does not mean doing nothing, Barnes continues, “It does not imply inactivity or laziness, it implies merely that our hope of aid and salvation is in him – a feeling that is as consistent with the most strenuous endeavors to secure the object”. “What are you doing while you wait? Will you look back when (please Lord) this is over with a feeling that you used this time of waiting well?

There are so many stories out there of people who have done extraordinary things in periods of time out. Shakespeare wrote King Lear,’ ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ as London reeled from the foiled Gunpowder Plot of 1605 and an outbreak of the bubonic plague the following year. Paul wrote the epistles Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon from his Rome prison cell. Isaac Newton discovered gravity during an 18 month quarantine. I recently watched Glenn Lundy http://Www.glennlundy.com interview Joe Buckner who spent time in prison. He shared he had no idea that his journaling during his confinement would turn into 2 books and help him become successful in business.https://yorkathleticsmfg.com/blogs/loversandfighters/beautifully-savage-the-joe-buckner-story

It is up to you. You can succumb to feeling sorry for yourself wishing that things could be different or will you wait on the Lord? When we do, He promises to “lift you up with a renewed strength. Allowing you to soar high on wings like eagles. You will go out ready to serve without growing weary” even if it is from the confines of your home using Zoom, phone or mailed hand written notes. You might even drop curbside pick up things on people’ porches.

Who knows. Maybe you will write a book, a blog people read ?, or invent the next greatest thing. What I can tell you is just commit to making a difference and your part of the world will be better for it. If you do nothing else, the time you spent waiting on the Lord will have been time well spent. It’s not too late. As in another place in Isaiah, wait and listen for “the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And be willing to say, “Here am I. Send me!”

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How could this year be seen as worse than last year

If you have been reading this blog since the fall of 2019 or following my journey through adversity Via www.caringbridge.org/visit/michaelGuthrie, you know that an immune system disorder led to a syndrome called Guillain Barre. It left me unable to move for 17 days and gave me the “opportunity” to be in a rehab facility while I regained my strength allowing me to walk out and go home 43 days later. March-June of 2019 were pretty much lost. So, why would I say 2020 has actually been worse than the same time in 2019?

Dottie and I were struck the other day that we have lost the same 4 months this year because of a completely different type of adversity, Covid19 aka The Coronavirus. I have found myself discouraged and on edge in a way that Is not normal for me. I am sure the pandemic has some you feeling the same. This discouragement and angst oozes itself into all aspects of my life which results in a sadness that has led me to ask why? Dottie’ answers, “It is the uncertainty of not knowing what to expect with Covid19. Your bout w GBS was different. Once we knew you were not going to be put on a ventilator, we had the confidence that although it would take a long time, you would get better. We have no idea where the pandemic is taking us and what will be its long term effects.” I find myself fighting this realization but at the end of the day, she is absolutely right. Whether one wants to say this is not a big deal or that it is being over blown by the media, the fact remains no one knows the long term effects of the Coronavirus be it physical, psychological, or economically.

The second reason for 2020 being worse than 2019 will not come as a surprise to anyone who knows me. It has been the subject matter of several blog posts here. I MISS MY PEOPLE ?. We are not made to travel this life alone. Jesus knew it and that is why he sent the disciples out in twos. “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.” ~ Luke 10:1 We need others in our lives to keep us uplifted when it is so easy to fall into despair.

There is also the African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together” My recovery from Guillain Barre was indeed a group effort. Friends spent the night with me in the hospital and in rehab. People brought us lunch every day. I had so many visitors that Dottie had to, lovingly but fiercely, become the gatekeeper so I would get my rest. I was in a bad way but throughout the ordeal and even after we came home, we had people cheering and encouraging us along the way. 2020 is harder than 2019 because this is a fresh and different kind of adversity. I am sure that many of you are struggling with the pandemic’s “shelter in place” in some of the same ways. GBS without a doubt was the biggest challenge I have faced in my life. The difference this year is I don’t have the people around me as I did last year. Dottie and I are fortunate to have each other but it is tough going through this pretty much by ourselves. Like us, You are tired, lonely, and Frustrated. Asking, “When will this ever end?” You are longing life to get back to normal. I am grateful that Jesus says in Matthew,  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Picked this one because i wish I was at the beach 🙂

Reading through Proverbs in June teaches God want us to wait on Him. Be patient. Trust that He already knows the outcome of the Covid19 story and as this song reminds us, He has never failed us yet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B_lnQIITxU When we do Isaiah 40 lifts us up knowing “those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength”. I will look unto the hills, to the One who loves me, for rest in my soul and a renewed strength. How bout you?

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For Better or For Worse?

I love the show Family Feud. Steve Harvey makes me laugh. What do you think about when you see this question? On the Feud, there is no doubt the #1 answer would be marriage. These days however, the question challenges me in my relationship with Dottie but also, will I be a better or worse person when my life after Covid19 begins. Dallas Willard writes in his book Life without Lack, “It is not pretense we need, it is understanding.  A life without lack his faith in God and in God‘s full capacity and willingness to meet all of our needs and more.” The three words “willingness to meet” jumped out at me. Do you want your relationship with God, your spouse, significant other, friend, co-worker, etc.,to get better? If so, there has to be a willingness to meet. A decision to stop walking your own way and turn toward the other. These are trying times. There is such a temptation to crawl up into a ball saying, “let me know when this is all over” versus having an attitude of “what can I do today to make myself better”along with the relationships I mentioned earlier. Thankfully, God already knows how we would feel while being sheltered in place with the uncertainty of the Coronavirus. Could it be that is why He had Paul write those letters from prison? How bout the words He gives us in James 1:2-5.

Do you want your life and the way you relate to others to be better or worse? Then follow advice of James. Look for the joy in your life even when you face whatever trials that come your way. Lean into knowing God promises that this season of adversity will produce perseverance. Look back and recognize how you have persevered already in these last couple months. Allow it to encourage you onward. James says, “perseverance will make you more mature and complete, lacking nothing” My take on this statement is I will be stronger in the Lord because I chose to turn toward Him in this time of trouble and found that He provided all the peace and freedom from fear I needed. Finally, we all lack wisdom and are asking, is there anyone we can we trust to give us the right answers in this incredible season of uncertainty? The answer is found in what James wrote and also in Proverbs 3:4,5.

Let’s all commit to being better not worse. Ask God into the dark and self-centered places in your heart. James promises “God will give generously to all without finding fault,.” When you receive this generosity, turn your caring heart toward each other asking how can I serve? Wonderful things will happen when we have a willingness to meet. You will become better and so will those around you.

Know that I am grateful for all of you. I look forward to hearing from you. Please subscribe to www.thankfulinallthings.com and comment there or email me at [email protected]

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How can we not fear?

As I thought about what I would write this week, I received this CaringBridge post from a good friend whose wife is in the same rehab facility while recovering from Guillain Barre at this time last year. His perspective is right on and reminded me of an earlier post where I wrote about how close I felt to God when things were the darkest. People would ask me, “are you not afraid”? My answer, honestly and I don’t know why, was no because God is with me and He promises to be with me not matter what.” Fast forward a year and we are all facing the fear of coronavirus together. Here is what my friend wrote about it.

“I don’t know about you but these virus precautions are getting to me. Our lives have been turned upside down.No dinning out. No church. No school. No NCAA basketball. No Masters! No easter services. Is this surreal or what? The final epitaph for COVID-19 has not been written yet but somewhere in there will be the damage from fear.

This is a good time to test your personal fear barometer. Do you let events unsettle you? Fear overwhelm you? To a degree, most of us probably do. For me, during the COVID-19 crisis I have tried to gauge my trust in God. Is it enough? If not, why not? My fear of losing my wife has made me face these questions. 

God shouts to us in our pain and suffering. Are we listening? I don’t want to miss anything when He has something to say to me. I am listening closely these past few months.

We have told you about how she on occasions can’t see or hear well, so she mistakes us for someone else. She sees things that aren’t there which confuses her and those talking to her. These are normal results from brain trauma but no one prepared us for how this manifests itself. My fear of the unknown strikes at me as I struggle to deal with my response to her.

So, as we live through COVID-19 and her recovery let’s face our fears with Him. Let’s give them to God. He is our great healer. He cares for us. We can rest in Him. He is our rock. He does not change. He is our refuge and strength. He is always near. As I tell my sweet bride, there is power in the name of Jesus. If you need help, call out his name. He is mighty to save!

Thank you for your persistent prayers and support. We are encouraged by each one of you. We will pray for your courage as you face COVID-19 and life.

Yes. It does take courage to face your fear but I can tell you from 1st hand experience, that is much easier to face them when you look back on adversity and remember that God was there and got you through it just like the psalmist promises in Psalm 23. I posted this the other day on my Facebook page. It came from me thinking about what I wanted to share with those who follow this blog.

Where is God wanting to take us? What does He want to teach us?
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me (Psalm 23:4
Greg Laurie-“Yet the Lord is saying, “You see that mountaintop in the distance? The way to that mountaintop is through this valley. You come with Me now through the valley.”
We all go through those valleys in life, those hard times. Whatever valley it is, remember this: You are not alone. That is God’s great promise to those who believe.”

In closing, I want to repeat something my friend wrote above with the hope that you will try and apply it to your life these days. ” God shouts to us in our pain and suffering. Are we listening? I don’t want to miss anything when He has something to say to me. I am listening closely these past few months. ” Many distractions have been removed from our lives. Sports, concerts, movie theaters, and restaurants to name a few. Why don’t we take this time of isolation from the distractions of the world and have a personal revival where we focus on what should have been our 1st priority all along. God. Psalm 22 shows God knew that His Son would be crucified. We can count on the fact He knows what we are going through now. You can call out to Him trusting He hears your voice. Move toward Him to hear His. Fear not and Trust in Him for all things.

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Out of brokeness can come beauty

Phillippians 2:4 “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

bottom left picture is from my “Self-Isolation Rapunzel Self-Isolation Tower” above our garage

I shared my word for the year was Generosity in my 1/1/2020 blog post. My friend Liza Borches Myers in her keynote speech to my company shared her company’s word was Courage.  Little did we know then how both would be so desperately needed at this time due to the Coronavirus world we live in today. “Things are bad and probably are going to get worse” Do you remember these words? They were shared by a doctor friend of mine right after I had been admitted to the hospital. He then said, “but you will get better.” That gave me hope then and it gives me hope today. It took courage for me to battle back from the effects of Guillain Barre and the generosity of so many to encourage us along the way. Dottie wrote this on our CaringBridge a year ago this weekend. “Meals delivered, overnight help, visitors, cards and notes of encouragement, and prayers have sustained us. We are blessed and grateful.” That statement is as tru today as it was then. Like my recovery, I have hope that the world will recover from this Coronavirus and we will find it better. There are reasons for such confidence. We sit in this incredible dark time and yet can glimpse the first slivers of the dawn’s light as we watch the Coronavirus’ impact releasing its grip in China and South Korea. Even in Italy where things are at its worse there are signs that have brought hope. I shared the following on Facebook a couple of days ago.

 In attempts to see the positive out of this pandemic, here is a quote translated by an Italian journalist to read whenever we feel worried. I added a few things in parenthesis. “The people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced, (many sang to each other from their balconies. A US ship in port played the Italian national anthem from their PA system.)And the people began to think differently. And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal. When the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully (as evidenced by the canals cleaning up so that dolphins have been spotted swimming there) and they had been healed.”

Further proof of the world being made better is found in this quote “The bottom line: “Beyond the public health and economic crises, [Riccardo Valentini, a professor at Italy’s University of Tuscia] said, the pandemic ultimately could trigger the most significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of the past century.” God’s Word is true. Paul wrote about my sickness and the Coronavirus challenge we fact today in Romans 8:28  “know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

I love the song “I can only imagine” by Mercy Me. It talks about what it will be like in heaven. If you haven’t heard it, google it on YouTube. Philippians 2:4 says, Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Could it be that with, what is going on and how we are generous and mindful of others, itwill make a very positive difference in our world going forward? We can only imagine.

Even in darkness, the light always prevails. Candle in the “Rapunzel Tower” window