A blanket of anxiety has covered our world and people who once considered themselves “stress free” and “laid back” are in the pool with those of us who have been here all along.

Yes, I’m in here too.

Last week I couldn’t go 10 minutes without my Apple Watch telling me to stop and deep breathe. Knowing that God was calling me to something deeper I took it to prayer and what I received was this:

God is calling us all to a deeper sense of trust and hope.

One circumstance that has caused much of the worldwide panic is that no one really knows for sure who Covid will infect and what the final outcome will be once they are infected. I have read stories of healthy young people who went into hospitals never to come back out again and then stories of people with extensive health histories who (by the grace of God) survived. We don’t have it all figured out yet. The situation is not under our control and, honestly guys, was it ever?

We are not in control.

God already knows who is going to be infected by this horrible disease and who will survive. All we can do is use the information we have, follow the rules laid out for us (i.e. social distancing, hand washing, etc) and then trust that what He allows after that is out of our control. I truly believe that everything He allows is for a greater good.

I HAVE to because the alternative is way more depressing.

People have suffered hardships and dealt with the pain of losing loved ones way before this virus even existed. Yes, it was painful and in some cases brought inexplicable grief, but they survived.

Look at Rachel Muha’s story (if you’re unfamiliar with her story look it up; she’s amazing). She suffered a painful loss after her son was kidnapped and murdered, but through the grace of forgiveness started a program for inner-city youth. Many lives have been transformed by her hope of something greater.

When we are faced with grief and loss we have two choices: we can let that darkness envelop us or we can choose to hope that a greater good can come from our circumstance. No matter what your relationship is with God I would think that a life of hope is way more appealing than a life riddled with anxiety. I would much rather hand over the reigns than be paralyzed with anxiety over a situation that is out of my control.

Letting go can be scary; especially if it is unfamiliar. You may have to make the choice over and over before it becomes familiar, but I can tell you that once you are able to let go of that control there is such a freedom that comes with it. And once you do you are no longer a prisoner to your anxieties and isn’t that a life worth living?