We’ve wrestled quite a bit about what we wanted to capture in this April 2020 message. These are, indeed, unusual and unprecedented circumstances. We’re bombarded with messages about COVID-19, social distancing, death tolls, proper handwashing techniques, political rhetoric, quarantines, face masks, essential workers, homeschooling, supply shortages… did I get them all?
In the midst of that, most of us are just trying to remind ourselves of the reasons we have to be grateful in an effort to maintain our peace. If you’ve been connected to us for a while, you already know that we aim to reach for gratitude at all times. That’s our antidote to the feelings of panic and worry that may threaten to overwhelm us. Even with gratitude in our hearts, we are so aware of the gravity and uncertainty of what we all face.
Some of us are trying to figure out how to focus on maximizing family time while in quarantine, while others are facing an overwhelming sense of loneliness.
Some are navigating remotely working from home while some may have lost their jobs in this season.
Some have gathered enough essentials to ensure they abide by the calls to “STAY AT HOME” while others can only afford to get enough essentials to last a week at a time, and face the judgement of others who roll their eyes wondering why some people “just won’t stay home”.
Some are gathering tools to work on their marriages and/or parenting, while others are trapped in abusive environments in quarantine, with seemingly no way out.
There are some that have contracted the virus or have family members that have been affected by the virus. And then there are some, including someone in our household, who are healthcare workers, putting themselves at risk each day to provide care and compassion to our communities.
With all of these different scenarios, there is no one message we can convey that provides a cookie-cutter response. Even as we create this message, some of your individual names fall from our mouths as we discuss the people we know in each of these circumstances. If we could speak to you individually this week, we would say…
1. Just do the best you can in this season with what you have available.
2. Ask for help. Yes, others are experiencing difficulty, too, but it doesn’t mean you can’t be supported. No one should face all of this alone.
3. Don’t compare your situation to others. Again, just do the best YOU can in this season.
4. Pray. And do so with the understanding that sometimes, the only thing that immediately changes may be your level of peace. Know that in the end, everything will be OK. If it’s not OK, it’s not the end.
Love you, and we’re praying for you.
Terence & Eardie