The Teabag

Yes, we are facing great changes today. There are new adjustments, modifications, and restrictions that may have caused inconvenience to others. We face countless uncertainties caused by our current situation and the realization that temporary things would not guarantee our security. 

Going through these transitions, we had to adapt to what has now become the new reality. 

With all these additional changes in our system, different questions and concerns overcloud our thoughts. We may find reasonable excuses to complain. And because we don't have control over what's happening around us, it's easy to worry, to get angry, or to have fears. 

As one of my teachers in Bible College used to say, the hot water only brings out the flavor in the teabag. 

Circumstances in life don't form the attitude of a person. It only reveals what's in the heart. How we respond to a crisis shows what we value the most and where our foundation is built on.

I completely understand the struggle to stay calm in the heat of the boiling water. My dad was one of those who worked on the front line during this pandemic when he was tested positive of the COVID-19. Soon after, he was taken into a quarantine camp for isolation. This unexpected turn of events gave us a taste of the flavor in our teabag.

The flavor could have been panic. Anger. Complaints. Worries. Doubt. Fear. Anxiety. 

But for us, we could only endure the hot water through prayer. We spent nights in prayer, not because coronavirus has shaken our world apart. We were on our knees praying because we have the confidence that our God is bigger than any life-threatening virus. He is ever in control. Trusting in God's sovereign power during the crisis, He filled our cup with a good blend made with peace, hope, and thankfulness.

Now that things are not the same as before the great quarantine, we see bulleted lists on what to expect this post-COVID-19 shared across different platforms of media. But in this world where changes are constant, Hebrews 13:8 gives assurance that the one true God will forever be the same. He is the same God who has all things under His sovereign control (Ephesians 1:11). And He is working steadily to accomplish His will and to fulfill His promises. 

The outpour of hot water is part of life. But in the hands of the tea blending Master, the taste in my teabag will be refined. What flavor do you have in your teabag?