A CALL TO SERVE THOSE WHO SERVE US

By Andrea Guachalla

With the rest of the world, I’m trapped in the uncertainty and the suffering. As many have already, I’ve fallen. Although I’ve not fallen sick but I’ve rather fallen in this selfish state called self-pity where you think you are the only one who is going through a tough time. Me, living in a country where things went pretty well compared to other countries even with the second wave of COVID-19 coming. Me, having food in my fridge, a roof above my head, healthcare whenever I need it, a family to keep me company, a thriving home office, a church where I can attend and learn, be loved, and cared for.

I, self-centered as I’ve always tended to be, feel sorry for myself. Because of course, I’m a sinful human, who can’t count her blessings. I’m the person who decides not to see the good things, but rather complain about the bad things. And not only that, but I dare take valuable minutes of my day to dwell upon everything that’s wrong, I waste the time that God has so graciously given me to rant and be ungrateful, selfish and self-centered.

But the Lord is gracious, and instead of letting me go down into this path of self-pity, He gave me time to reflect and think.

A few days ago, I woke up and immediately reached out to my cellphone to check the statistics of COVID-19 in my home country, Bolivia. Now that Austria is doing better and we’re even allowed to gather without wearing masks, I don’t worry as much about my place of residence as I do for the country I first loved. All the news I read indicates one thing: if I ever thought I was suffering in this whole crisis, it is because I never even thought of the frontliners who have been working nonstop all these months.

Some of the newspapers inform that many policemen, healthcare providers, and politicians have contracted the dreadful virus while doing their job. Although things look different in each country according to the supplies they get to work one thing is certain: frontliners run an unimaginable risk that we need to understand.

Of course, we are exposed to different levels of distress: some of us are worried about trips that got canceled, some are busy with extra-heavy loads of classes, some are facing financial issues, some people’s main problem is boredom, and some others are facing death and sickness, but still most of us are going through this time in the safety of our homes. We have hope that our health will remain intact.

But this is not the case for others, some are facing death, sickness, disaster, and despair every day. Our very nightmare of being close to someone sick is the frontliners’ everyday life and it has been for the past 4 months. The frontliners, policemen, healthcare providers, diagnostics technicians, journalists, firemen, and more. Unlike us, they can’t stay in the comfort and safety of their homes. No matter what they are doing their job.

The only way I can approach some understanding about these people’s feelings is by remembering a chief policeman from Bolivia who after several weeks of trying to control the rioting and almost-civil war that took place in the country appeared on TV after and said: “Please, stop. We have families too, we want to go home. We want to live. Please stop this madness.”

I imagine those are the exact words that hundreds of healthcare workers and frontliners are saying while trying to do their job: “We have families, we want to go home.” But it’s their job to be there. It’s their job to selflessly take care of others until the situation is more under control.

Seeing how all these people are working and how high the chances are for them to get sick made me realize that we should not complain, and it saddens me to see so many people carelessly deprecating all these people that are doing the best work they can. It saddens me to see people bad-mouthing and criticizing all these frontliners and the healthcare-system from their comfortable couch while doing nothing to make the situation better. It saddens me to be one of the people who has fallen in the self-pity spiral that doesn’t allow me to empathize with their suffering more and do something about it. It saddens me to see how often we take our eyes off of Christ and forget that we must do everything with a thankful heart, and praise what is good. We should count our blessings.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:8-9, English Standard Version

If you have been focusing on the bad things, if you have fallen in this self-pity spiral that doesn’t allow you to see further than your own problems, if you have been carelessly criticizing what others are doing, and/or if you have been wasting your time instead of seeking for ways to help, let me ask you one question: ARE YOU DOING YOUR PART?

If you’re a frontliner reading this let me thank you and bless you for what you’re doing. Thank you for doing your part as a healthcare provider, as a policeman, as a journalist, as a cemetery worker. Let me tell you how grateful we are for how the Lord is using you to save lives, assess the situation, making sure that the population is following the restrictions. Thank you for your selfless service that puts your health at risk. Let me tell you that people are praying for you and your family and that there is a God who will reward you if your motivation is to love Christ and your neighbors.

If you’re someone who’s not a frontliner but you’re still doing your part as a mother learning to homeschool, a son helping as much as possible in the household, or anyone who is working in different areas other than the frontlines and you’re occupying your time wisely and trying to help by following the restrictions, educating others, taking care of your family and taking care of your friends as much as you can: May the Lord bless you, guide you and keep giving you the strength to do all you’re doing! Keep doing the good works that the Lord has given us to do (Ephesians 2:10).

Now, if you’re someone like me who has fallen in this self-pity spiral that prevents you from helping others and you’ve been focused on yourself, your problems, your disappointments, and your feelings, if you are too blind to see all the blessings that you have right now and you complain deliberately about the government, the healthcare system in your country, and/or about the frontliners, let me ask you one thing: how dare you?

Knowing how the world is falling into pieces and how others are selflessly giving their lives to serve those who are sick, those who are dying, the families who are mourning: how dare you to feel bad about yourself? How dare you ignore all the good things you have? How dare you ignore all the opportunities you have to serve others? How dare you sit on your comfortable couch and criticize carelessly? Can you see how hypocritical and selfish it is to be complaining about the problems while not even trying to be part of the solution?

If you’re like me and you’ve been wasting your time on getting entertained with TV, social media, books or whatever, just to escape from a reality that affects some more than others, if you’ve been ignoring your blessings, and have been justifying your selfish actions and thoughts, if you’ve been feeling sorry for yourself, let me rebuke you and tell you that is time to STOP. We are in the middle of a pandemic in the 21st century, it’s time to do something, it’s time to get out of your selfish bubble!

The world not only needs healthcare providers, or policemen, or politicians to implement restrictions. The world needs each and every one of us, and you can be sure that God can use your life in many ways to bless others. Don’t be so arrogant and prideful as to think that because you’re not a frontliner your responsibilities in this situation are lessened, or that you are not able to help the world overcome its messy state.

Don’t be so prideful as to focus on your problems, weaknesses, and limitations, ignoring that serving others is not about you and your abilities, but about a gracious God that can use even the weakest and most despicable human being to fulfill His purposes. Don’t be so prideful, my friend. This is not about you, and it’s not about me. It’s about asking God to work through us, and taking care of others, it’s about being humble before the Lord (James 4:6).

We all have a role to play in these unprecedented circumstances, and if you’re not sure where to start let me recommend you reading this survival guide that addresses some practical steps you can take today to use your time wisely in this time of lockdown and uncertainty. In this next section let me focus on how we can support the frontliners.

1. PRAY for them!

Whether you have friends or family who are frontliners, or even if you don’t know any in person, it doesn’t matter: PRAY FOR THEM. Put them in your prayer list and pray for strength, for protection and guidance from the Lord. Pray for their families, and pray that they will get the resources and wisdom they need to save other people’s lives.

PRAY. Let them be in your prayers day and night. When you find yourself wasting your time on the internet just for entertainment stop for a few minutes and pray for them. They are more important than whatever you need to escape reality.

The Lord is good, and he listens to our wholehearted prayers with empathy and love. Perhaps you will not be able to see in a tangible way how he is working through your prayers and strengthening those for who you are praying but be sure He is gracious and He listens. One of the main things everyone needs in this situation is spiritual support.
So pray.

2. Reach out to frontliners you know

If you know anyone who works in the frontlines, reach out to them. Ask them how they are doing, let them know you’re praying for them, offer your help.

These people are spiritual beings just like you, and before anything material, they need your spiritual and emotional support. So, call them. Make a list of all your friends, family members, or acquaintances that are frontliners and make it a habit during these months to reach out to them every week and ask them if you can pray for them, send them encouraging messages thanking them, and ask them if they need something.

Those details and efforts are the results of how the Lord is working through you to love and bless others and showing you practical ways to do so. Pray that the Lord will give you opportunities to respond to their spiritual needs and that He will give you genuine empathy and love towards them.

3. Help in practical ways

Praying for them and offering your emotional support and encouragement is already something, but prayer must come with actions. So, offer practical help in whatever way it’s needed.

Of course, this must be done very carefully now that the restrictions are rigid in many countries, and the number of cases is rising. The risk of getting infected and infecting others is high, but there are always ways to serve practically. A few months ago I read about the neighbors of a nurse who took turns cleaning her house while she was working, preparing snacks for them to take to work is also a good alternative, or even just offering to do the groceries for them, reaching out to their families and offering words of encouragement is also something doable. Start a conversation with them and find out in what ways you could serve them.

Whatever you can do, do it! Be creative according to your circumstances and that of the frontliners you would like to support. Pray that the Lord will give you opportunities to serve them in any way that is needed. Pray that God will reveal their needs to you and that you will be able to respond to those needs.

4. Do your part!

All of these people are doing their part. And even though we all have our own occupations whether it is working from home, taking care of our own family, or wasting time with entertainment, one thing is sure: while you have time to relax, they are working in one of the most frightening scenarios you can get in this pandemic. And yet another thing is sure: if they can work in the middle of this and find the strength to do it, you can certainly do your part too!

There is always something to do. First of all, we must be responsible and follow the restrictions and recommendations the government is setting to avoid the spread of the virus. This is crucial and contributes to the enhancement of the overall situation. If each one of us takes the restrictions seriously for the love of God and others knowing that we could be carriers of COVID-19, we will certainly be helping the frontliners and setting an example for others to follow.

Besides that crucial responsibility, you can do your part by reaching out to friends to see how they are doing and asking them if they need something, you can look for ways to provide with basic needs to the needy people in your neighborhood, think of better ways to serve your family in your household, do your research and support organizations/ministries (like this one) that are raising funds to actively provide with basic needs and medical care to those who need it more, you can even start a fundraising yourself but if you can’t do that you can still support – financially, logistically or even just by sharing their work with your friends – those who are doing it.

Whatever it is, take action! Do your part! Use your God-given time and your God-given gifts and resources for something that honors Him.

May the Lord forbid us from being so focused on ourselves that we cannot even see other people’s needs and suffering. May the Lord give us a humble heart that depends on Him. May the Lord use our lives, our resources, and our gifts to bless others.

We all have a role to play, may the Lord show us the way and lead us to take action!