From the journal of Madeline, a member of AudioGirl Ministries

March 24, 2020 

I hope this finds everyone healthy and safe.

The phrase “be not afraid” keeps coming to mind as we enter further into the days of isolation and uncertainty. 

The realities that we face with this virus just seem unreal, but I believe that even through this God is speaking to us. 

The updates on the coronavirus have been endless- necessary for health and safety, but still endless, and sometimes so hard to watch. With these precautions in place, stores, restaurants, gatherings, and most importantly the celebration of the Eucharistic have been cancelled. I can’t think of a time that this has happened for my generation, which can be alarming. Times like these cause confusion and can even test our faith, for some faith can even be lost.  We must remember through even these, the toughest of times, to keep Christ as the center of our lives. 

For months now my calendar has been completely full, my weekends and after school life were completely jam packed with extracurriculars. Life was just moving way too fast, days would go by and I felt like I didn’t even know what had just happened, much less did I feel like I was spending enough time in quiet reflection with my God. How could I know what He wanted for me, if I didn’t take time to really listen? Now everything has been put on pause. At first it was frustrating but now the silver lining to this awful virus has me trying to focus on being grateful for downtime. So how will I fill these suddenly open hours…

This time spent inside our homes may be difficult for some but let’s use it to draw closer to God. Let’s get back to basics and start with kindness in our own homes by spending quality time with those in our everyday lives that we so often take for granted. Let’s use this as an invitation to give Him more of our attention and be more openly aware of Him as individuals, as a community and as a country. I invite you to spend some extra time in prayer and mediation, to truly reflect on what God might be calling YOU to do.  Perhaps He’s calling you to be more active in the prolife community. Or, at the very least, calling on you to pray everyday for an end to abortion.

Like so many I am still very unsure about the future of the world around me, but the trust I have in Christ keeps me steady. I pray that our world remembers God, moves Him front and center, and puts faith into action again. If this is harder for some during this chaos, let Jesus be your strength. This is exactly when we must remain faithful and even use the challenges to grow in our spiritual lives. 

Do not lose hope, trust the journey by remaining strong and faithful during this time, and remember that OUR God is always stronger.

“Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

In His hands, 

Madeline