Hi everyone ~

I pray you are hanging in there in the midst of the ongoing and lingering challenges related to the coronavirus. It will certainly be a different Easter this year, won’t it?

In spite of all the restrictions, changes, and uncertainties around the world, we’re still here with another weekly writing prompt and link-up. I hope the consistency of this habit and routine will offer some sense of familiarity to you in the midst of other lifestyle changes.

If you’re new to the Five Minute Friday writing community, welcome! Please click here to join the mailing list so you don’t miss any new posts or announcements. You can also learn more about the link-up and how it works here.

This week’s FMF writing prompt is: PATIENT

Today the Governor of the State of Michigan announced that she would be extending the Stay at Home executive order from its previous end date of April 13th until April 30th. It makes sense and I believe is a wise decision, especially given the fact that Michigan recently became the third state in the nation to surpass 20,000 reported cases of COVID-19.

Of course, the extended duration of the “lockdown” is likely to test the patience of many of us — whether we agree with the decision or not. And yet, we have it *so* much better than so many others, both in this country and around the world.

Many of you know that I lived in South Africa for more than ten years, and my husband and all three of our children were born there. The entire country of South Africa is currently on a 21-day lockdown due to coronavirus. They aren’t even allowed to go outside to walk their dogs (or themselves). In Michigan, we’re still allowed to go outside for personal exercise, as long as we maintain a distance of at least six feet between other people who are not immediate family members.

I said my kids the other day, “Imagine if you lived in a shanty in one of the townships in Cape Town, like Khayelitsha or Gugulethu and you were on a 21-day lockdown in a tin shack with six other family members, with no TV, no books, no cell phone, and no Wi-Fi. Just remember, it could be a LOT worse!”

Even when it’s hard to be patient, may the Lord give us the strength to trust in His plan as we wait for Him to accomplish His purposes.

STOP.

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Have a blessed Easter weekend!