COVID-19 Update 5: Being Thankful During a Discouraging Newsfeed

For the last several months, life with Sagebrush has been pretty busy.  Prior to today (and you could debate that writing this email is working today) the last day I took off was the day we were at Disneyland that I referenced in my last email.  So, this weekend, I took the family to my parents’ ranch in northern Arizona for a quick getaway.  There isn’t a place more relaxing and peaceful than the back porch of the Kellso ranch.  As is sat here on that porch watching the wind go through the trees and listening to the birds sing, I scanned my news feed.  It is very strange because I feel an incredible amount of peace while I see headline after headline of unrest.  If it isn’t an article talking about COVID cases rising, then it is an article about protestors being abused.  The next article is about police officers being ambushed and stabbed.  Then an article about a movie star saying the wrong thing and apologizing.  There are opinions about what we should do. There are opinions about what isn’t being done.  There are opinions about what is being done.  My news feed has never been like this.  It is mind-numbing. 

My last personal “COVID” email was a bit preachy and that is not what I intended to do.  There is plenty of preaching going on and the last person you need to preach to you is the guy that you buy coffee from.  I am not going to mention any more about the actual incidents in these articles.  But I do feel compelled to write something.  I want to write about what I’ve noticed laced throughout every single one of those articles.  It is a series of emotions that I have felt at various times over the last few months.  They are anger, fear, impatience, leading to dissension & a complete lack of peace.  I don’t want to write about these directly, but I’m writing this email as a bit of personal heart shepherding.  I’m sitting on this porch and I need to reset my heart before I go back to the real world in a couple of days.  I need my heart to be put in the right place and I’m writing it out and emailing it to you all frankly because I hope it will be an encouragement for you to do the same. 

The way I want to shepherd my heart right now is to write about 5 ways that I’m thankful in this season.  I am thankful for:

1. As a Christian, I put my faith in God to not just save me, but that his promises in the Bible are and will come true. I know that he is sovereign and that this time that is not the way I’d do things is working itself according to His will.  I am thankful to know this truth, trust it, and put my faith in it.  God is a good God and if I trust the things I know about Him, I can be at peace when the world around me is anything but.  I am thankful to know my Savior and to trust Him.
2. My family and the fun we have together. We laugh and talk and are truly a family full of friendships and love for each other.
3. God’s provision amongst a trying time. Many are in need right now and I am thankful that we are not currently in that position.
4. Friendships, we have lots of friends and a time apart from them in many ways (Zoom isn’t a good substitute) only makes me value those friendships more.
5. Sagebrush / Hackberry & our customers. I love that you guys email me and we get to interact more than just to buy coffee or tea, but over the course of these emails, I’ve heard from you and get to pray and email about how we’re getting through these times.

I’d love to hear from you.  What are you thankful for during this season?