It was Monday, March 16^th, that the President’s 15 Days to Slow the Spread of Coronavirus, went into place. It was the day after my wife and I went to Sunday Mass for the last time at our Parish (we now watch online). Since then Churches have closed across the country, as has almost everything else. With the exception of those serving in the essential services sector, we’re all at home. Many are able to work remotely, while some (into the millions) have lost their jobs due to the crisis.

We’re still not out of this thing. With what started outside of our country, the ripple effect is incredible. It would seem probable that there are parts of our country, our world, our way of life, that are going to change forever…something that wasn’t close to being on our radar earlier in the year, when things were humming along.
In watching the news, seeing what’s being posted, and talking to folks, there’s a lot of fear and anxiety out there. I can genuinely say that I’ve experienced neither, which I would attribute to my faith. What I’m absolutely amazed by is how everything flipped on a dime. The world has literally been turned upside down by Coronavirus overnight. It’s surreal. It’s nuts. It’s really unbelievable.

So, the question becomes what we can do for ourselves and others during these times. I’ve identified three things:

Stay in a place of Gratitude
Do what you can…don’t worry about the rest
Help others

Stay in a Place of Gratitude
It was a year ago that I posted a blog titled, “Do You Need An Attitude Adjustment Too?”, which you can find here. Not wanting to be redundant, I want to stress the importance of gratitude in these times. BTW, a quick internet search will indicate how important gratitude is to us. Without question, we are currently facing challenging times. And at the same time, so many of us are so blessed. For me, I am so thankful for so much…

Starting with Jesus Christ as my Savior
Very close second is my wife and the relationship we have, followed by our children and their families, all incredible blessings to us
For my journey (everything that has occurred in my life, including the tragedy) and what God now has me doing in my life
For my upbringing, my loving parents, my brothers, and our broader family and friends
For everything that occurs in my daily life, the good (for obvious reasons) and the bad (for the lessons they teach me).

I don’t mean to drone on, but want to provide you with examples. We all have so much to be thankful for in our lives. We need to take account of these things daily, thanking God in prayer.

Do What You Can…Don’t Worry About the Rest
I’m reminded of the Serenity Prayer, which I say daily:

God grant me the Serenity
To accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And the Wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time.
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is,
Not as I would like it.

Trusting that He will make all things right,
If I surrender to His will.
That I may be reasonably happy in this world
And supremely joyful in the next.
Amen.

We have very little control over much of our lives, i.e. Coronavirus. I believe strongly that the above prayer, including the first four lines, are indicative of the healthy way to live life. Do what you can and don’t worry about the rest.

Help Others
This one is obvious and we’re seeing examples of it everywhere. I, like you, could fill 13 pages with examples. Here’s a different slant though. Those who do mission work or ministry most often feel more served by those they’re serving than the other way around. In other words, it’s in those in need that we truly see the face of Christ, where we feel the love of Christ.

While serving others is not to be about us, we do benefit from it, which is a nice thing in these challenging times. Reading Scripture this morning, I came across Luke 8:39, where Jesus says to a man he just healed, “return home and recount what great things God has done for you”. Two things…first, be grateful. Second, another way to help others is to share the Gospel message, including your testimony.

Praying for all of us as we make our way out of this crisis. As always, should you have questions, comments, or concerns, please contact me at Mark@MarkJosephMinistries.com.

God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!

Mark Joseph

I recently read a study, indicating that 49% of adults complain of being lonely. Very sad. The fact is that we’re not made to go through life alone. Instead, we need community. We yearn for authentic friendship.

My best friend is my wife, Cyndi. Although we are both busy with our jobs and have a few additional friends, we spend a ton of time together. We really enjoy one another’s company. It’s not that we never struggle, but we are incredibly close. We invest in each other. We care for one another. Cyndi knows she can count on me and I know I can count on her. We always encourage one another. We love each other very much.

Who Is Your Biggest Fan and Advocate?

Many would argue that Cyndi is my biggest fan. And from a human perspective, they would be correct. She’s mine and I’m hers’. Fortunately for all of us though, there’s a divine perspective that we benefit from. And thank God. Related to Cyndi and me, although I support her in everything, I’m only capable of so much, whereas our God is capable of all. Although I love Cyndi, that love pales in comparison, as exemplified by Jesus’ torturous death on the Cross.

God loves each of us more than we’ll ever know, no matter what we’ve ever done. As you’ve read in my blogs before, in making us with special gifts and talents, for a specific purpose, God made each of us, you and me, for Greatness!!! And He’s the one, our biggest fan, our greatest advocate in the Holy Spirit, to help us.

What About All These Rules?

Often the Church is criticized as this place of rules. Many believe that getting to Heaven requires a scorecard…doing good allows one step forward; doing something really bad forces two steps back. Going to Mass is standing, sitting, kneeling, followed by standing, sitting, and kneeling. Then there’s the 10 Commandments:

1.I am the Lord your God: You shall not have strange Gods before me.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
4. Honor your father and mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

As opposed to viewing them as rules, I prefer thinking of them as divine guidelines. The fact is that if you want to get in shape, muscularly or cardiovascularly, there are certain things that need done if you want to accomplish your goal. The same goes for wanting to lose weight. And regardless of the skill you might want to attain or objective you have, you typically have to practice specific tasks and look to avoid others.

The Tools to Succeed

The same is true for our God given purpose and how we utilize our special God given talents. God and His Church are there to help us, not hurt us. Whether it’s the Commandments from above, or the Virtues or Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit….all of these things, with the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, are there to help us be the very best versions of ourselves.

Yes, God is our biggest fan…and He gives us the roadmap to live a life of Greatness.

As always, feel free to reach out to me with any questions, comments, or challenges at Mark@MarkJosephMinistries.com.

God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!

Mark Joseph