Make It Count by Marcie Handrich

Many, if not most of us, know someone touched by COVID-19. Andy Landers, a singer-songwriter friend in Olympia, WA, whom we think of as a family member, is recovering from COVID-19. Andy and Jody have four biological kids, one with ongoing health needs due to a rare congenital disability named Quincy, and adopted twins from Sierra Leone. Having spent countless days and nights in the hospital due to Quincy's painful surgeries, Andy and Jody are well acquainted with suffering. Instead of asking God to remove their suffering, they long ago began asking God to make it count.

Recently, Jody listened to a podcast with Kate Bowler, who spoke with Beth Moore, among others, about fear, especially when life is turned upside down. Jody shared what she called "a complete paraphrase of what they said ... but I love it so much. She also indicated that she has always "longed for this kind of posture toward the suffering of people." In the podcast, they said, "We don't have to come to a place where it was 'worth it' but we can come to a place where God made it matter. I became awake to a different kind of suffering and pain and uncertainty and the fragility of being human. It was not worth it, but it mattered'."

That resonates with me. During the first weeks of isolating, I began to experience a heightened sense of fear, anxiety, and grief. Past traumatic experiences have made me more aware of the suffering of others. I was particularly grieved about people dying without the presence of loved ones. Stories of loved ones who were not able to say goodbye or who attempted to do so via cell phone prompted me to tell my son that I did not want to leave anything unsaid. I so desire to make this time count, to make it matter. I'm making an extra effort to express love and gratitude to people in my life. I pray that God continues to reveal ways to make this time matter. Make it count, God, please make it count.