One-third of the global population is on lockdown. People across the world remain confined to their homes and striving to make sense of this new normal. That new normal unfortunately feels a great deal like surviving.

Surviving is great for a short-term crisis. It helps you focus on what you can control and keeps you going from one moment to the next. However, it’s not a great long-term strategy.

Long-term you’ll need something more. You’ll need something that looks like grit. A settled determination to push through no matter how hard things get. A mindset that says quitting is never an option.

A shutdown is great for things other than binging on Netflix. It is an opportunity to grow and become better. That’s something all dark seasons bring–a silver lining.

One silver lining is time to read. Unfortunately, I haven’t fully availed myself to the increased time for reading. In part, chasing and entertaining a three-year-old eats up the spare time. The other part is laziness. Something I’m correcting for April. April will hopefully bring not just more books read, but all of us emerging from our collective hibernation.

Thankfully I fit in a few good books before county officials and governors boarded up the doors of commerce. What follows are six books and one short story I read this month.

We truly find ourselves in "times that try men's souls." Each new hour brings conflicting stories of hope and despair. Amid it all, we can't lose sight of this simple truth: Great tragedy brings great opportunity.

In the midst of your biggest challenges, you often find your biggest opportunities. While a nationwide shutdown is less than ideal, it does give you a chance to use it for good. What government meant for evil; you can use for good. Or something like that.

God is sovereign. He is in control of all things. There is not a single atom floating in the entire cosmos outside His control. Every atom dances to the sound of His great music.

He is sovereign over nature. He is sovereign over salvation. He is sovereign over the good and the bad. He is sovereign over even our suffering.

This last part–that God is sovereign over our suffering–is sometimes a tough pill to swallow. It appears at odds with what we see and feel. I’ve struggled with this dichotomy many times as we’ve wallowed through pain and hard times.

The world is in a panic; everything is closed; grocery shelves sit empty from the ravages of a frightened people. Each day’s news only to ratchets up the anxiety inhabiting so many. It seems we have entered a unique moment in world history; or have we?