Written by Talia Hart
As a native Floridian, I have witnessed numerous hurricanes. Each year, the meteorologists stalk the oceans to see what’s brewing out there. The media starts to put us in a panic as it gets closer to the state and gives us thousands of scary predictions that changes by the minute. Citizens are horrified and buying all of the water and gas, and whatever other supplies you typically stock up on during this time. My husband and I go into stores typically because we literally just ran out of water. Or, we’re at the gas station because we’re literally on empty. You would think, we’d be better prepared and proactive about our supplies. But some
how, someway, alas! I see a gas station on the way home from work and I am able to fill my tank. My husband just so happens to go into a store and there’s water available! We immediately thank the Lord and realize, we had been super chilled during the pandemonium. And it’s a good thing we were because God provided for us. He came through! Through all of the chaos, we still managed to get what we needed to weather out the storm.
Then, Coronavirus came. We did not expect this. We did not prepare for this. We didn’t know how to prepare for this. I am an RN so naturally, I’m a germaphobe. This caught us totally off guard. I thought it was another “Ebola”; it was happening everywhere, but it wasn’t going to come here. It wouldn’t affect us. I was so wrong. And it feels like it came at such an inconvenient time. I have a newborn baby and had already been “social distancing” for the sake of my sons brand new immune system. I was dying to get out of the house! The media put everyone into a panic per usual and when I went to the store to buy baby wipes the rack was completely empty! I said to myself, Lord! Why does it seem like every time the world is in a panic for certain supplies, I need them?! Then the Lord showed me that we actually had mostly everything we need. I had been preparing for my maternity leave in February, since December. I had stocked up on tissue, water, laundry and dish detergent, Clorox wipes and some other household supplies. We had boxes of diapers and baby wipes from the baby shower, and a freezer full of food from our mothers when we first got home with the baby. Antoine (the hubs) and I were just starting to run low on tissue and water when this pandemic started coming our way. We didn’t panic, we didn’t worry. We went into Publix and Walmart a number of times, but to no avail. There was no tissue, no water. Then, we tried again at Walmart one day. There were three packs of Zephyrhills water left and I saw the employees about to stock the shelves with baby wipes (insert praising hands emoji). I left out of there with 700 baby wipes (I am laughing out loud on this one). Antoine managed to try them again and got another pack of water and tissue this time!
My point to this very long story is, God does provide for his people. When it seemed that we may have to use the restroom the good ole fashion way (with out paper products), God saw to it that we were able to purchase what we needed. He gave us extra at that! And he had already planted a seed into me to stock up on household items so I wouldn’t be in the aisles fighting over the last container of Clorox wipes. We are learning about the different names of God in Hebrew and Jehovah-Jireh means the Lord’s provision is seen. We surely saw his provision during this time of crisis and we trust in Him that we will continue to see it. We pray that His people will continue to trust in Him as well, as we are witnesses to what God can do, even when things seem impossible.
-Sister Talia Hart