Being an "essential employee" is another, I guess. Nice to have a paycheck, to eat and pay bills. Though many days have I wished I could be spending the time -- full-time -- with the ones I love.
Being able to hit "Pause" when my pastor says something that has compelled me to take a note or stop to meditate on a word has been extremely convenient. (I am trying to figure out where we will install said button on our pastor when we resume live services.)
Invention and outreach. Some of the funniest memes and videos have come out of all of this. And the work that volunteers and staff are doing to educate our children and bring them joy is beyond words.
Listening to my quarantined neighbors interact with their equally quarantined families has been a blessing. Phone calls and Facetime, laughter and the same discussions everyone has been having: "Did you hear she's being tested?" and "How long did you stand in line at Walmart?" Overhearing those common little exchanges has always been a comfort to me; perhaps it has something to do with growing up in a row home. It takes me back to warm summer nights, windows open, lightning bugs flickering in the backyard grass, and grown-ups sitting on the patio enjoying the quiet of suntanned progeny tucked in on clean cotton sheets. Times when there wasn't so much to do.
An empty calendar. Save for upcoming holidays and birthdays, I haven't heard a reminder go off in weeks. When I come home from work, I join the masses of Americans who spend the day in their pajamas, hatches battened and the horse in the barn. No place to go, and all day to get there.
But, there is a dark side. There are things about this quarantine that are not quite as easily accepted or counted as blessings. The toll this is taking on the littles, for instance. They've been champs, they really have, but weeks of seeing only the faces of a few and missing hugs from neighbors and friends, is beginning to militate against their sense of normalcy. They no longer have the joy and safety of strolling unfettered among members of our church family, or wading through a sea of toys in their library group. They can no longer feel the love of others but a few.
Mom, too, is slipping further and, I believe, faster. Winter is especially hard on her, being cooped up day after day. This winter, while milder than normal, was still winter. And now, the winter that never began, appears to be the one that will not end. Mom loves to be out and about, interacting with others and simply going for a ride on a beautiful sunny day. Could I take the chance? Move her from the house to the truck and just get her out? Sure. Could I forgive myself if she got sick? I'm not so sure.
Terms like "shelter in place," "frontline workers," or "uncertain times" seem to breed fear and panic. Why do we think "declaring war" against something immediately makes us stronger, or causes people to take things more seriously? Why do we think the presence of yet another life-sucking illness makes all of life uncertain? When can I meet the person whose life was ever "certain" before this came to our shores?
And then there's the grace. Or lack of it. It never ceases to shock me just how cruel and judgmental we can be toward one another. Though, it shouldn't. We are people of extremes: if you don't wear full PPE, you don't care about spreading this heinous disease; if you wear a mask, you're a sheep or fear monger. Somehow, we think that by a soundbite we can judge a person's entire character, mental fitness, or physical health; by a full two and a half minutes of contact with someone in a Wawa, we can judge whether they are a selfless person or a selfish person. And we do not hesitate to impose those extremes and snap judgments on one another as though we have the right to do so. We do it in our discussion with others, on social media, sometimes, right there -- loudly -- in the market: "Some people have no consideration for others!"
I want to roll out Scripture after Scripture about loving each other and not judging others; that the Lord sees our hearts, and He is working for His glory and our good (if we are His children), and tomorrow on this earth is not promised to anyone; that He longs to shelter us under His wings and He knows our every sorrow -- but I won't keep you any longer, we all have things to do. So, let me just put it as succinctly as I know how:
Trust and obey. God's got this. We cannot control tomorrow, long-term effects on our health or our children, finances, relationships, other people and their behavior, and plenty of other things We have been given a job to do: LOVE (Matthew 22:37-40). God first, then others. And we walk that out by remaining humble, dealing with others justly and mercifully, and staying as closely in step with our Savior as we can (Micah 6:8), knowing all of this will work out for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28)
Friends, enjoy your family. Enjoy the quiet. Look for the blessing in every moment. Be kind. And stay well.
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