COVID-19; This Is What You Are Trained For
Experience of over 40 years has taught me that in training a retriever you must design and divide your time in the field between drills and tests. Drills teach pup the foundational blocks of obedience, focus, steadiness, casting, marking, ability to take directions, trust in you, applying all the abilities that God gave him at birth. Tests are the opportunities that simulate a true hunting experience that enable pup to respond in a situation based on what he/she has learned during the drills.
The well-bred retriever loves the test because he gets to do what he is born to do...retriever! Sitting on the line whether over land or water, he trembles with excitement at the sound of a gun blast. Pup waits with heightened anticipation to hear his name called so he can bolt forward for the retrieve. On the other hand, pup can easily become bored doing routine drills because he doesn’t understand how they fit in the scheme of things. Over and over he hears: here, heel, sit, over, back, fetch until he looks at you, and with amber eyes asking, “What’s the point?” You know the point but he doesn’t. You know that to mold him into an accomplished retriever, drills are a necessary tool to prepare him to pass the tests. You know that he must learn to trust you and developer the confidence to trust himself. You know that one day he will be put in a situation that will require he act on every ability he was born with and every lesson he learned in mundane drills in order to make that difficult retrieve.
Likewise, there are things God knows about you and the purpose of the disciplined drills in your life that you do not know. He is teaching you to trust Him and have confidence in yourself. The journey of most adult Christians who have walked in The Way for years involved them in small group Bible classes, discipleship groups, worship experiences, mission opportunities and the adversities of life. Or, in context of our analogy, training DRILLS. Currently, because of the Covid 19 pandemic, you have entered the opportunity where the TEST exposes and challenges what you have learned up until now. This is the time you rely on your training drills to help you put into practice what you have been taught. Simply, your response to self isolation, limited freedoms, temptation toward anxiety, separation from fellow believers and church training exercises is not a drill; this is the test!
Rely on your training. Trust in your Master. Have confidence in who you are as a follower who walks in The Way. Live your faith like your life depends upon it, because in reality, it does!
Remember, trust Jesus and wash your hands!
(28March2020) Ldw
