Somewhere there’s a nice proverb about “April Showers and Spring Flowers.” March has certainly brought us enough rain to last a while, but now that April has finally arrived, we’re in the midst of a pandemic. When it rains, it pours.

Not only has the coronavirus brought to our attention the importance of hand-washing, but it’s also brought our attention to other interesting aspects of our society. No March Madness? Delays and cancellations in spring training? No concerts, no theater, and no church! What are we to do with ourselves? What happens when you take away all the distractions of our social entertainment? Other than posting on social media about playing tic-tac-toe with your cat or training your goldfish, what is a Christ-follower to do?

Lent is a season in our Christian calendar that promotes discipline and self-sacrifice. We’re in the season of Lent right now as we move forward to Easter. As followers of Christ, we should remember to count ALL things in our lives as discipline. Hebrews 11:7 exhorts us to “endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children.” Do you believe that God uses all things to bring us closer to Him? Our enforced physical separation as a church can be used to bring focus to the empty and barren places in our relationships with each other and with God. It highlights those things we so easily take for granted – like Christian fellowship and corporate worship.

Let’s use this time to grow spiritually and determine in every way to find fellowship and worship.

1. Stay connected with FBC through the church app, website, and emails. Watch our live worship services at facebook.com/FBCStarkville and live.fbcstarkville.com and connect with people in the chat.

2. Have personal, daily worship time through reading your bible, praying, and singing!

3. Use your newly found free time to memorize scripture – do it as a family or with friends.

4. Reach out to your neighbors with front porch visits.

5. Prayer walk your neighborhood.

6. Deliver care packages to those who are truly isolated.

7. Call friends to check in with them and offer to pray with them.

8. Connect with others through social media.

9. YouTube has enough worship music to last your lifetime!

10. Pray that the Lord would bring to mind those who need a connection.

It now appears that we won’t gather for our Easter worship. This saddens me greatly, but I do believe that God promises all things will work together for good. The writer of Hebrews says it best in 11:11 “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

Has God brought an enforced Lent to your life? Just like the April Showers, let us all yield to God’s leadership and discipline so that when the time comes, we’ll see the May flowers of spiritual growth, holiness, and wholeness in Christ.