The Emergence of Family as the Victor

Written by Jim Ertel
Published on May 06, 2020

It has been said that time heals all things. As a seventy-year-old father and grandfather, I disagree. 

Time alone cannot heal. It cannot heal the grief of losing a loved one, the heartache of a broken relationship, or the regret of a horribly wrong decision. 

Only God, through Jesus Christ, has the power to do that. But time can provide perspective. And perspective allows us to see things much more clearly.

Rethink our outlook

When the coronavirus is in our rear-view mirror (and it will be eventually), our perspective may very well have shifted. How it changes will be different for each of us. 

Social distancing, stay-at-home directives, and the health implications of COVID-19 are giving us an unexpected opportunity—albeit, likely an unwelcome one. They have granted us an opportunity to rethink and reevaluate our sometimes very skewed perspectives. 

For example, some people have family members who are in a fight for their life. God’s promise to heal by his stripes (Isaiah 53:5) could become more than mere words on the page for them. For it may be their only hope and answer. 

The emergence of a richer perspective

Many have seen their retirement or college education funds plummet, as fear and panic in the market cause stocks to drop twenty, or even thirty, percent. 

Others are facing partial or total loss of their income, knowing full well that the government may help but can never make everyone completely, financially whole. As people struggle to pay their bills, God’s promise to meet all of our needs, according to his riches in glory (Philippians 4:19), may very well become one of the most studied scriptures in the Bible.   

If fear is not allowed to reign in our minds, a new and richer perspective of life might emerge. As things are placed back into their proper perspective, they may in fact become far less important. 

An opportunity for the taking

Family life, the foundation for everything good in our nation, can so easily be eroded in our all-consuming, activity-driven culture. 

But in this temporary lockdown, family may just emerge as the victor. 

What could happen if the hearts of fathers turned again to their children? What if husbands and wives rekindle their love? What if relationships with children were made whole again? 

This unforeseen opportunity to change perspective is ours for the taking. 

The Lord is our third cord

Let us look up to our heavenly Father for help and guidance. Let us cling to our husband or wife for strength and courage. For though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him, and a threefold cord is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes  4:12). God is our third cord!

Even though what we are all facing is not pleasant, it too will pass. 

Let us not waste this time. It might just be a wonderful opportunity to gain a more God-centered perspective. It might allow us to focus less on events and materials, and more on what really matters—family and people. 

If we are wise, we’ll learn from this crisis and embrace our new perspectives.

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Jim Ertel

Jim is a husband, dad and grandpa. He and his wife of 50 years have raised two children, both happily married. Between the two, they have blessed Jim and Shirley with six grandchildren.

Jim writes articles for parents and family but especially likes writing stories for middle school grade readers with enough excitement and intrigue to keep them reading. Like a tapestry, virtues and values are woven into the fabric of these stories.

Jim says, “I’ve discovered only a few things that truly matter: God’s unconditional love, the love that my wife has bestowed upon me and the joy of family.” His desire is to help build strong families through story telling.

Read more about Jim

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