Teenager creates ear guards to help with facemasks: God uses people who don’t know they’re being used |
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Paul Coschignano is a thirteen-year-old in Eastchester, New York. His mother mentioned that her ears were hurting due to hours wearing a facemask as she works as a physical therapist. He used his 3D printer to create ear guards that will relieve such stress and wants to make them available to anyone who needs one. The story does not say whether Paul has a personal relationship with Jesus, but it is clear that the Great Physician is using him to continue his healing ministry today. Sara Herlevsen is a tutor in Calgary who offered free assistance “to any child who is at home right now. Anywhere in the world.” Her day now starts at dawn as she teaches children and some parents everything from biology to Latin word roots. She has students in Australia, Britain, and as far away as Vietnam. Though Sara credits her wide-ranging knowledge and love for books and teaching to her theologian father, the story does not say whether she has a personal relationship with Jesus. But he is clearly continuing his teaching ministry through her. COVID-19 and the “silent killer”One of the greatest problems with SARS-CoV-2 is that it can infect people who don’t know they’re infected and can in turn infect others. However, there’s another unseen problem with this unseen enemy: it is especially dangerous for people with a preexisting condition they may not know they have. Of those who were hospitalized from COVID-19 in New York’s largest hospital system, 57 percent had hypertension, followed by 41 percent who were obese and 34 percent who had diabetes. Part of what makes this so problematic is that hypertension so often presents no symptoms. That’s why it’s sometimes called the “silent killer.” The CDC estimates that eleven million US adults have high blood pressure but are unaware of their condition and are not receiving treatment for it. Here’s another problem that should be making news: healthcare workers may unknowingly spread COVID-19 in their communities by wearing scrubs in public. A 2018 study found that nearly one-third of over seven hundred scrubs were contaminated with pathogenic bacteria. Droplets of COVID-19 have been found to stick on materials for over a week. As a result, one medical ethicist thinks that policies are needed to keep medical workers from wearing scrubs in places where they could contaminate others. How God used the Roman Empire to take the gospel to RomeThe good news is that our Lord can see what we don’t see and work in ways we don’t know he’s working. One of my favorite places to visit in the Holy Land is the stunning city of Caesarea Maritime. This city was the Roman headquarters in the region. Situated on the Mediterranean coast, its remains are impressive reminders of the grandeur of the Empire. |
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Ruins at Caesarea Maritime. By DerHexer, Wikimedia Commons, CC-by-sa 4.0, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link |
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It was here twenty centuries ago that the apostle Paul stood trial for his life. And it was here that he exercised his right as a Roman citizen to appeal to Caesar (Acts 25:11–12). This right was guaranteed to all Roman citizens and would be like an American appealing her case to the Supreme Court of the United States. As a result, God used the might of the Roman Empire to convey one man to Rome. And the Lord provided for his apostle along the way, helping him and his shipmates survive a shipwreck (Acts 27:13–44) and protecting him from a fatal snakebite (Acts 28:3–6). This is why the book of Acts can end with Paul in Rome itself, where he was “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance” (Acts 28:30–31). When he was on trial before Roman officials in Caesarea, who could have imagined that this would be the result? The story behind “His Eye Is on the Sparrow”One of the fears we all face is the fear of being unknown and unloved. As I noted in my latest website article (“I couldn’t see meteors in the pre-dawn sky”), our unseen God could see the Lyrid meteor shower I could not see this morning. I cannot see my Father, but he can see me. And he is working in our world in ways we may not see but that are nonetheless very real. |
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The starry sky shines over the Baltic Sea on April 22, 2020. Mostly starry skies currently allow a clear view of the shooting stars of the Lyrids. |
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He is using a teenager to help healthcare workers wearing facemasks and a tutor in Canada to encourage children around the world. I believe he is working through medical researchers as they search for therapies and vaccines for COVID-19. His hands are strengthening the hands of doctors and nurses as they care for patients. His wisdom is guiding employers as they search for ways to care for employees. You’re familiar with the song, “His Eye Is on the Sparrow,” reflecting Jesus’ promise of our Father’s omniscience and love (cf. Matthew 10:29). The woman who wrote the lyrics more than a century ago said she was inspired by a couple who struggled with physical challenges. The wife had been bedridden for twenty years; her husband was confined to a wheelchair. Nonetheless, they faced their difficulties with hopefulness and joy. When asked their secret, the wife replied simply, “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.” Her testimony produced the song millions have sung around the world. Name your fears today and trust them to the Father. He knows your needs (Matthew 6:8) and loves you beyond human comprehension. In fact, his eye is on you right now. Are you looking to him? |
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