I find myself oddly grateful for what the world and our nation is experiencing. Of course I am praying for all of the countless families that are broken due to the loss of their loved ones to COVID-19, and I am constantly thinking of and praying for the men and women that are working long hours in our medical facilities, putting their own lives at risk to take care of those that are in need. To me, they are heroes and our nation’s finest. But despite all that this virus has taken from us, I am also grateful for what it has given.

For me, my family, and many others, this time in the wilderness has been an unprecedented opportunity to seek God’s face and rest fully in Jesus like never before. It has been a time that so many have turned their lives over to Christ and begin a new journey. In many cases, nothing but such tragedy on a global scale could have pointed them back to Christ like this.

The COVID-19 virus has been the challenge flag that we see coaches use many times in football games. The challenge flag, when used well, can be a total game changer for either team. It is a pause in the normal play that demands a review of what has just happened. After the flag is tossed, we see course correction as the officials make a call to right the wrong. The tossing of the COVID-19 flag forced me to pause and take a serious look at my life with Jesus before the virus hit. It was an opportunity to course correct and get back into relationship with Him. Without that course correction, I don’t know how I could have gotten through the hard days at work in the recent months.

I am the Director of Environmental Health at the Kalamazoo County Health & Services Department. Generally, we have programs geared to protect our citizens from negative environmental exposures and minimize illnesses related to adulterated foods (food borne illnesses). As a result of COVID-19, I have also been asked to be the Kalamazoo County Logistics Chief in charge of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This job involves obtaining PPE and distributing it to EMS, hospitals, long term care facilities, law enforcement, shelters, and visiting medical staff. Trying to purchase PPE was difficult not only due to the PPE shortage but also because we are on a very limited budget. N-95 masks, procedure masks, hand sanitizer, gowns, gloves and face shields were in high demand, and we had little hope that we could get a supply that matched the needs. There were many times that our PPE supply was running so low that we were not able to provide specific PPE to those in need. Countless times I prayed for God to provide what was impossible for us to get on our own. 

When we hit yet another week of barely having enough PPE to give to those in need, I reached out to Radiant. Through Radiant Church, God provided my agency the needed PPE so that we could assist our hospitals, shelters, long term care facilities, and EMS with their fight to safely do their jobs. God used the shortage to teach me to trust Him more than I ever had to in the past. With that trust, Jesus blew me away as I saw Him strategically place people in our path to supply more than $250,000 in PPE to my agency in less than three months; PPE that my wife has used working in the COVID-19 wing at Borgess Hospital!

I am grateful for this time in the wilderness and for Pastor Lee, the staff at Radiant, and for all that call Radiant home. I have seen their faithfulness in giving and volunteering during this time provide essential PPE to those that are on the front lines fighting this horrific virus. Each and every effort, from the smallest tithe to the biggest blood drive have made a life-altering difference to those that have been affected by COVID-19. Some of whom did not even know that Radiant Church existed until now. They know now, and they are grateful for you.

Do you feel your story can serve as a hope and inspiration to others? Contact us at mystory@radiant.church.