Servanthood in the Midst of COVID

From the beginning of March of this year until early May when COVID-19 reared its ugly head in the pandemic of 2020, I drove back and forth to work in the busy Medical ICU of Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan day after day. Quarantined for a couple of weeks prior to the rest of the state of Michigan, my days off were often spent at home coordinating drop offs for masks, hats, and other PPE that so many friends and folks I hadn’t even come to know yet, volunteered to provide.

My drives home from work often involved stopping at people’s homes to pick up bags of supplies on porches. Frequently I’d come home to warm, home-cooked meals on the porch, brownies, and cookies. Once there was even an entire homemade coffee cake that was absolutely scrumptious.

Friends sent pictures of cartoon heroes in capes colored by their children, people sent cards, made bright, beautiful paintings for my window, and even sent videos of their kids singing fun songs to my cell phone. They texted me Scripture verses, personal prayers, hymns, and devotionals. Boxes were often on the porch when I came home from work. People sent snacks, care packets and treats came all the way from Canada, and PPE of all sorts was sent from three different states. There were a few times I’d get up in the morning and find bags of things such as home made shields and ear savers on the porch. One of my childhood friends drove over an hour at midnight and left 20 hand sewn masks in my door. One friend even organized a group that began providing meals for front line workers in all of the Detroit area hospitals.

Reading the occasional hand-written letter of encouragement became one of my nightly favorite things to do once I settled in and curled up on the couch.

Life was crazy.

Finally, an injury to my knee took me out a couple of weeks ago, necessitating a surgery and keeping me at home not only quarantined, but pretty sedentary so far. Besides my faithful family and friends who come and go because they love me and want to make sure all of my needs are met, I’ve had quite a bit of time on my hands to reflect about all things COVID!

This morning my church interviewed me on ZOOM. It was only a couple of questions, one of them being what I’d learned throughout this pandemic. Inside I sort of laughed to myself because even in the past two weeks, much further distanced from COVID than I had spent March through May – I’m still learning, and realizing what God has taught me through this sliver of time. And, He is using this time off to teach me even more.

So many Scriptures I thought I understood took on deeper meaning during the past few months. And if it weren’t for the people at my church and the family of God who seamlessly deployed like an elite trained Army Infantry Division, some of these Scriptures may not have ever come to life as they did in these days.

I have missed my sons and daughter-in-law, and three months in the lives of my grandchildren have passed by without me hugging and kissing them. THAT feels like an eternity. But I do realize that it certainly is not.

The past few months have actually only been a sliver in time, a vapor, really. And a gift. And when eternity matters more than the right now, and you’re surrounded by faithful, generous people with genuine servant hearts whose lives model that very thing – Philippians 2:3-4 just comes right to life!

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:3-4 NIV

Whether it was sacrificed time, material, talent, food, or any of the myriad of other gifts my intensive care unit and I were the recipient of – I know that not even one person who gave, did any of that out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. They did not look to their own interests. They humbled themselves and looked to the interests of myself, my co-workers who I love so very much, and literally hundreds of other front line workers – ALL image bearers of our Creator and God.

Friends, if God ever asks you to account for your time, and how you spent the months during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, you will have no regrets. You spent it with an eternal perspective, focusing on the needs and the interests of others, and some who I happen to care an awful lot about.

Thank you, all of you, for making Philippians 2:3-4 jump right out of the Scriptures and come to life for me. You have helped me love Jesus a thousand times more.

And thank you to Jerry Carnill, who always, always, always talked to me about living every day of my life with an eternal perspective. I didn’t forget.