Testimonies of Grace, Part 3

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We asked our congregation for some ways that God had blessed or grown them during this difficult time. Here are some of our family’s responses:

This quarantine has been a good reset for me.

God first convicted me as to how I use my time. This in turn led to me evaluating what I was doing with my time; which in turn revealed some idols which had taken root deep in my heart.

Being forced to have no sports to watch was the first idol that got crushed. It was a little rough the first week or so to have no sports to watch but as each week has passed my desire to go back to it, even if it ever returns, seems way less strong.

The next idol was Social Media ie…. games on my phone and iPad. I deleted all of them and again as each day passes I don’t miss them at all. I even started to wonder where my obsession for playing games on them came from.

Thankfully God has helped me establish some new habits.

I started reading “The Gates of Prayer” by John MacDuff. He has a morning and an evening prayer which are filled with scripture. I spend time each morning and each evening reading the prayer out loud to myself and before God.

I’m reading through the Valley of Vision, as another instrument to help me with my prayers.

I started reading Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening as well as Faith’s Checkbook every day. Doing all of these readings has fed my soul and has spurred me on my time in prayer.

I’ve also started reading good books again. I realized that over the past 4 or 5 years I had stopped reading books to nourish my soul and stretch my mind & faith. In the past month I’ve already completed some books and feel challenged and encouraged again.

I share all of this by way of encouragement to you. I am so thankful to have had this time to reorder my life, to get rid of some bad habits and to start focusing my mind and heart more on the Lord. I have also taken to heart the encouragement to reach out to my brothers and sisters. I’ve been texting, emailing, calling and even sent some cards of encouragement through the mail.

Roger C.