When we lived in Morocco, every single day felt like a\nmonumental challenge. It certainly wasn\u2019t because of the people (they were\nincredibly kind, generous and welcoming). The challenge primarily came from\nbeing so out of place \u2013 so keenly aware we were foreigners and didn\u2019t have much\nsense on how to navigate an alien nation. Simple things like retrieving cash from\nan ATM, adding minutes to our cell phones (no iphones there), getting\ngroceries, visiting the orthodontist, buying underwear, paying bills, etc.,\netc. were all accomplished so differently from what we were used to they\u2019d suck\nus dry of time, energy, and brain space. The language barrier also played a\npart (we often complained of headaches in the evening from speaking French all\nday long).<\/p>\n\n\n

For example, we had to pay our utility bills in person in\nthe nearby village. Payments had to be in cash, in an envelope, in the exact\namount. If you forgot the envelope or needed even 10 dirhams back, they\u2019d\nrefuse the payment. If you couldn\u2019t say your address clearly in either Arabic\nor French, they couldn\u2019t process your payment. Some days the office was closed\n(for no apparent reason) so it was a crap shoot if you\u2019d be able to make your\npayment or not. It was an enormous headache (quite different than having your\nbills electronically paid each month\u2026)<\/p>\n\n\n

Because life was so hard in Morocco, I was immediately stripped of cockiness and confidence. I quickly learned how incredibly incapable, insufficient, and dependent I was. I had NO CONTROL.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

We had only been their a few weeks when I woke up one\nmorning paralyzed by fear. I couldn\u2019t imagine getting out of bed and facing the\nday \u2013 there was just so much unfamiliarity and overwhelming newness bombarding\nme each day, I was beyond exhausted and discouraged. I remember thinking, \u201cI\ndon\u2019t even want to swing my legs over the side of this bed because when my feet\nhit the ground, there\u2019s no turning back.\u201d So I cried out to God and said, \u201cI\ncan\u2019t do this without you, God. I can\u2019t even let my feet hit the floor until I\nknow you\u2019ve got me completely covered. Help me, God. Help me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

And every morning, for four years, before arising each\nmorning, I said that little prayer. It\u2019s the only way I dared to start the day.\nI could have never survived Morocco without that prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n

Sadly, we had only been living back in Michigan for a few weeks when I realized I had ceased that morning practice. In America, it was just so easy to accomplish everything and I could do it all on my own. In America, I\u2019m confident, self-sufficient, capable and energized. Simply getting money from the ATM is a no-brainer and I use NO brain space whatsoever. The same is true for the doctor\u2019s office, grocery shopping, talking to the neighbors, and parent\/teacher conferences. Life’s so simple, uncomplicated and easy back in America, it\u2019s almost as if I don’t need a God anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n

So it\u2019s no wonder I stopped inviting God into my day before swinging my legs over the side of the bed.<\/p>\n\n\n

Then came COVID-19.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

I have a nasty debilitating, progressive and degenerative lung\ndisease. I am in that \u201chigh-risk\u201d group that those in the media treat as\ndisposable by constantly reminding the public that the old and weak are going\nto make up the bulk of the dead, so the rest of the population need not worry\nso much.<\/p>\n\n\n

But because of my lung disease, COVID-19 has given me a new wake-up call and once again reminded me how OUT OF CONTROL<\/strong> I really am. My life is not my own and I am at the mercy of a virus that not even the brightest minds in this entire world can explain or predict. <\/p>\n\n\n

Every<\/strong> day I wonder if this is the day.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

So I\u2019ve returned to that morning practice that I should have\nnever stopped. Before I even swing my legs over the side of the bed, I pray:\n\u201cOkay, God, this day is yours. You alone know the pathway of an unseen virus. This\nis all in your hands and I MUST trust your sovereignty. Whether I live or die\nor am asked to simply sit here for another 12 weeks, give me peace. Whatever\nyour will, Lord, I don\u2019t want my feet to even hit the ground until I know you\nhave me covered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

And then I get out of bed. My feet hit the floor and I say,\n\u201cHere we go, Cindy.\u201d It\u2019s weird, but I truly feel like no harm can befall me.\nEven if the COVID-19 finds me, I know that virus can never steal my joy. Am I\nafraid? You bet. But I KNOW that I am covered \u2013 and that covering makes all the\ndifference.<\/p>\n\n\n

Tell me, my friends, how are you covering yourselves in this\nunprecedented crisis? I\u2019d love to hear all your innovative ways!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When we lived in Morocco, every single day felt like a monumental challenge. It certainly wasn\u2019t because of the people (they were incredibly kind, generous and welcoming). The challenge primarily came from being so out of place \u2013 so keenly aware we were foreigners and didn\u2019t have much sense on how to navigate an alien […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,20,23,25,30],"tags":[58,86,93,99],"yoast_head":"\n