What are you waiting for?
Many things are on hold or even off the plate for us as we wait out the obvious effects of this global pandemic. Life for all of us will have changed for us or we will have changed our lives to adapt to something new and evolving. Some of us will wait until this cloud and all it encompasses lifts before we assess what we do next in a “post-pandemic” world, while others are already looking, listening and learning about what is really solid to them before, during and after the pandemic stops “shaking” the world.
How will things be different for you? Will there be an effect from which you can derive positive outcomes or will this anxiety inducing “shutdown” paralyze you or take away from your life something of considerable value? We have choices to make in how we appraise life with and after Covid19, don’t we? Where will we feel the greatest impact and will that impact prove negative or will we discover ways to profit from a new normal?
People will be impacted differently, to be sure. Just what are some of the main concerns? Many of these become woven together. Economic health. Physical health. Mental health. Relational well-being. Spiritual health. Recreation. Entertainment. Mobility. Availability of assistance whether it be medical, food service or even someone to cut your lawn. Let’s be honest. The world, and to a degree most everyone in it, has felt vibrations from the shaking. People are blaming God and others are pressing towards Him. Only He knows how the numbers play out.
I’m not interested in speculating what hand God is playing in this, only that I know I can trust Him come what may and I can choose not to be anxious or fearful. I have made those choices, have you? I know the sports world and sports fans have gone nuts – the athletes can’t play or be paid, and many fans are in withdrawal over having no current sports to view. Entertainers can’t entertain and adoring fans can’t go to shows or concerts. We do love our diversions. For some this is borderline worship or idolatry. Undeniably, the loss of these venues does have a significant financial impact and the monetary implications will provide some influence as to the severity and longevity of our present quarantine.
Maybe it’s time to look at the journey we have been forced into rather than looking for the light at the end of the tunnel and determine how and why the effects of it are impacting us and are significant to us. Let’s face it, life may not be at a STOP sign but surely it resembles at least a YIELD. What do these signs mean to me? What have I cultivated in my life to a high level of importance? Are my current priorities the priorities I want to move forward with? Could God desire to use this slowdown to slow me down and have me hear something from Him or allow me to speak my heart and mind to Him?
It would be a pity to have navigated through what we hope is a once in a lifetime event without something positive to claim from it. Most of us have more available time than ever before. This is a great opportunity to pray for the welfare of others, but let’s not miss praying for a clear channel with God for ourselves. Where before He may have had to yell, in this quiet we just might hear His whisper. Think About It.