“Even when it’s hard to find the words, louder than I’ll sing your praise.”

 With COVID-19 and the current political climate, the lyrics to Even When it Hurts seem relevant more than ever. Fellow Christians must feel the same way. In Washington, thousands of them gathered at the Mall, praying for our nation to heal.

Faith gives me strength by reminding me that, in a politically divided world, I believe God loves us regardless of our political views. It’s reassuring nothing can cancel prayer. Prayer helps cope with difficulties by reducing anxiety and depression.

When the world is full of chaos, pain, and frustration, life feels out of control. We can, however, control how we respond. For anyone of a faith, the best way to heal is to take out all that hurt and anger in prayer.

When we typically think of prayer, we think of asking God for something. Yet, now more than ever, I believe the second definition of prayer is getting overlooked. According to dictionary.com, prayer also means giving thanks to God.

We can’t make COVID-19 go away any quicker or teach society to acknowledge that both Black and blue lives matter. We can pray and find something to be thankful for. Even if it does not change current circumstances, it can give us a sense of a light at the end of the tunnel.

For me, that sense comes from realizing how much there still is to praise God for.

I am thankful for friends who still keep in touch with me, even those who I haven’t seen in person for months. I am thankful for a sweet family and hometown to spend this seemingly never-ending quarantine in.

I’m thankful for psychology labs that remain dedicated to research and working remotely. I am thankful for an honor-thesis adviser who was more than willing to help me start my research project remotely.

I am thankful for a publication which is one of the few college newspapers still publishing during the pandemic. I am thankful for health-care workers who risk their lives daily.  I am thankful that people continue doing what they do to the greatest extent possible, giving me a sense of hope and normalcy.

I am thankful for friends and family who love me for my controversial political views, not despite them. I am thankful for people from both political parties for standing up for what they believe in and genuinely wanting to make the world a better place.

I praise God for all that and so much more. It gives me hope He will eventually make the coronavirus go away and teach society to love both African Americans and police officers. Plus, believing He has a plan keeps me sane while in quarantine.

Being away from Iowa City longer than I ever imagined possible, made me realize everything it has that God blessed me with. It inspired me to be thankful for friends who make Iowa City home instead of complaining about homesickness and how I have nobody in it to talk to about politics.

Even if you are not religious, finding something to be thankful for is a great mental health booster. I’ve noticed while on my daily walks that people greet each other more often. Despite the distance between one another, we’re still trying to find ways to remain close.

We all need a source of hope, strength, and joy now. Prayer reminds me that I believe God’s goodness, which is as constant as the stars above and makes the sun shine even in the darkest of nights.

Columns reflect the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Editorial Board, The Daily Iowan, or other organizations in which the author may be involved.