Charles Billingsley, pastor, worship leader and former front man for NewSong, recently recovered from a bout with COVID-19. During his battle with the virus, Billingsley found solace in God, through some of the very music he has helped create.
April 10 marked the release date for Billingsley’s newest album, “I Was Made For This.” Instead of celebrating the album’s release, on that day the 50-year-old teaching pastor and worship leader at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia, lay in a hospital bed fighting off the coronavirus.
After testing positive for the virus in early April, Billingsley laughed off the diagnosis assuming that he would be one of the minor cases and see few symptoms. However, he was wrong. What followed was 10 days of aches and pains, headaches and a 103-degree fever – then the virus moved into Billingsley’s lungs.
“My doctor told me if I wasn’t in decent shape, that’d I’d be dead,” Billingsley told Religion News Service. “But I was never fearful. I always felt like the Lord was going to take care (of me).”
While in the hospital, Billingsley got angry with God for not healing him like he felt that he should.
In hindsight, however, he said, “the Lord has dealt with me in so many ways that I’m not sure I would trade it for anything, although it was one miserable 24 days.”
Through his illness, Billingsley said he learned four important lessons: 1) “life is fragile,” 2) faith is essential, 3) “fear is not an option,” and 4) “No matter what, keep your eyes on Jesus.”
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