It’s amazing how fast things change. Roughly a month ago everyone was getting ready for a very busy spring break. The economy was humming along and the future, at least financially, was looking good.  Travel bookings were up; flights, hotels, car rentals, restaurants, parks, movie theaters, concerts, and sports arenas were all expecting a spectacular 2020 spring break, summer, and winter. The travel and entertainment industry numbers were in an upward trend, but for most Christian organizations the numbers were in decline. People were too busy working, traveling, and taking selfies. 

Then news reports started to surface about the COVID-19 virus in China, but we were told not to worry because it would not affect us. Then we were told to worry because the virus had reached our shores. Then we were told that we would need to be on lockdown for a couple of weeks, and now we’re being told that we are going to be on lockdown for at least the entire month of April, and maybe even most of, if not all of the summer months too. And just like that financial security has become financial insecurity and busy agendas have been completely wiped out. The travel and the entertainment industry numbers have completely collapsed and church attendance online is at an all time high. It is amazing how fast things change; people are no longer too busy.

No person in the history of the world had a busier agenda than Jesus. He basically had 30 years of preparation to save the entire world, past, present and future in just three years. He was the most famous and sought after person of his generation and he became the most famous sought out person in the history of mankind.  But no matter how busy or famous he was, Jesus always prioritized spending time alone with God.

Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. – Luke 5:15-16 NIV

The whole world is at a standstill; it’s time to pause, pray and praise God. It’s time to make pausing, praying and praising God something we do often, not just when things are not so good but also when everything is very good. I want to encourage you to commit yourself to pausing, praying and praising, you just might discover that it’s amazing how fast things can change.