by Thomas Chan

My whole family tested positive for COVID-19. 

My bout with the virus lasted 5 days. My brother and sister each spent a few days of their own completely down for the count. My mom got admitted to the hospital once doctors discovered that she had pneumonia as a result of the virus. And just as she was coming home, my dad got admitted into the Intensive Care Unit requiring heavy oxygen support to combat the crippling shortness of breath that was ravaging his body. Necessarily, the rest of us remained at home in quarantine, unsure of what we could really do next. Our family found itself in a moment of weakness, nervous and perhaps even a bit fearful of what could happen next.

And yet in this very same moment of uncertainty, God revealed something profound to us:

We weren’t alone.

As we shared the news with extended family and the first of our friends, their words and care quickly became a pillar of strength for us. Many of them checked in with us daily, providing us counsel and comfort. We knew that their prayers would intercede mightily before the throne of God. My mom had lung surgery last year, and that experience revealed to us how inviting others into that journey really allowed them to come beside and support us. In that same light, I rallied our allies near and far by putting out a social media post to share what was going on.

The responses that followed were staggering. Like a dam with its floodgates burst open, support for our family came rushing in. Before we could fully realize what was happening, our phones began erupting with messages and phone calls, even from people we haven’t heard from in years. The prayers multiplied exponentially. A meals on wheels program was even set up to ensure that we had enough food to eat, and TRUST ME, we’ve had plenty! In our time of need, we were and still have been met with more overwhelming support than we could have imagined; it truly means more than words can adequately express.

We don’t know how long the coronavirus is going to be around for. Still, I’m convinced that God has a way of laying a trail of silver linings through even the most unlikely of situations; He has certainly revealed some of them to my family.  If there’s one takeaway I can leave you with, it’s this: The best thing you can do for your loved ones is to be the first to reach out and extend a helping hand to those you care about (as long you maintain social distance of course!). Even if it is just to check in and see if everything is all right, initiating a simple text message or making a quick phone call can mean a lot to someone that deep down just wants to know someone cares about them. At the end of the day, that is something we all crave. We’re stronger with each other, and perhaps God is using a time like this, one where we don’t have much else, to restore this fundamental part of our humanity to the world.

This blog post was been adapted from the original post at https://foreshadowingsofeternity.wordpress.com