We are in full renovation mode. The middle school administration wing has been dismantled, we are relocated into our new temporary office space, and the walls of the new middle school wing are tilted up and in place.

I am also in renovation mode at home. We have gutted our entire living space except for a bedroom and a bathroom downstairs.

Then came COVID-19. At times, it’s all a little too much!

Deep Dive

Most of our home renovation is being directed by my wife, but she did let me lead the re-design of our living room entertainment features. In other words, I got to buy a new TV and figure out how I wanted our associated audio system to be wired in. This is the first time in my life I went to buy a TV that was something other than the cheapest “Boxing Day Blowout.” In fact, other than our most recent TV, all our TVs have been hand-me-downs.

In true teacher fashion, I did a deep dive into TV specs and reviews. After a lot of research, I narrowed it down to two options. Still, I wanted to actually see the two TVs in operation and compare them. In this time of COVID-19 store closures, this meant that I had to make an appointment with a salesperson at a local store.

Speechless

On the day of the appointment, I rang the doorbell installed on the door of the store and was then greeted by the salesperson I set up the appointment with. He showed me the two TVs, all the while practicing safe social distancing. The salesperson knew his TVs and helped me select and order one.

As he was ringing up the sale, I made a comment about how much the COVID-19 precautions must have impacted his sales. He sighed, agreed, and then asked if it had made an impact on my work. When I told him that I was the principal of Abbotsford Christian Middle School, he got a strange look in his eyes. He asked me if I was a Christian, and when I affirmed that, he said that he also was a believer.

That’s when his gaze became even more intent.

Then he asked if I thought these were the end times.

His question caught me off guard. I didn’t know how to respond.

Comfort and Grace

In that moment, all I could think of was the Scripture passage I had read for devotions that morning. I shared 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. Here, Paul quotes Christ, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”And then, Paul adds, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.”

I admit that this may not be the passage that most eloquently addressed his question about the end times. However, it does get to the point that Christ’s grace is enough. I need to be reminded of His grace, often, in these times of uncertainty. We serve a God who is bigger than the effects of COVID-19, and His grace is more than sufficient! Paul’s faith meant that he could “delight” in hardships. I do not delight in what COVID-19 has done, but I am comforted, and I can stay focused on the role and tasks He has given me.

I may have a new TV to watch the unsettling events of the world unfold on, but I also have a Saviour whose grace covers me. Comfort in strange times. My hope for you and your family is that you, too, will find comfort in the grace and power of Jesus during these strange times.