May 2020 (COVID 19 Drama - Episode 3)

May 2020 ushered in with a spike of confirmed CoViD-19 cases in Cebu City and the next few weeks have became “blurry” for us.

I’m sure it was very tough for the extroverts to literally stay home. Thankfully all 4 of us in the family are introverts so in a way it was blissful for us to enjoy our “me” times. Still it was difficult not to be able to enjoy eating at the restaurants or shopping for things we like.

Those times brought me to reflect on the life of Joseph in the Old Testament.

In Genesis 37:27, he was sold as a slave by his brothers to the Ishmaelites. I’m sure he didn’t understand what was happening but there was no record of him complaining during the whole transaction!

It seems that he was weak for not fighting back but as Genesis 39:2 stated “The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. “ This proves that true strength is not in fighting back but in successfully going through hardship with the divine strength of the Lord.

Again, while Joseph was excelling in his work as the overseer of Potiphar’s household, he was unjustly put into prison because he stood up to do what was right. I know, this should strike our nerves because he still did not speak up to defend himself.

Genesis 39:21 though will calm us again as it stated “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”

Joseph kept himself up in whatever crisis he was in. He did not retaliate, nor did he try to prove himself right. His only concern was to do his task with excellence and to serve the people. I’m sure what was in his mind in those times was only to grow with God and to do the things that please Him.

During the lockdown, it was a time for me to grow. I was able to do so many things that I couldn’t do while working full-time like: being a full-time housewife and mom, cooking new dishes, watching k-dramas with my daughter, communicating with friends online, reading and creating a blog site, learning from experts online, and planning for new possibilities in education.

How was your lockdown experience?

Whatever circumstances you are in right now, go through it with God because it is only when we can do nothing that God can start to do something in us.

Read Genesis chapters 37-47 for the narrative of Joseph.

Psalm 92 English Standard Version (ESV)

12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree

and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, 15 to declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.