Socializing While Sheltering in Place
Isn't it odd how something ugly can produce something beautiful? There is nothing cute about COVID-19, but it has created some unique opportunities to connect in clever ways. Zoom meetings with our out of state family members, virtual game nights with cousins, and plenty of phone calls to old friends.
Just when we felt like the walls of our home were closing in on us, we had a playdate with our peeps. We packed lunches, strung hammocks in trees and spent the entire day beside a creek and managed to stay 6 ft. apart. It was the epitome of good "CLEAN" fun!
Friendship is the glue that holds life together when it feels like the world is completely falling apart.
Backyard Beauty
Neighborhoods have always beckoned us to come behold their beauty. But it took a pandemic for many of us to accept the invitation. I've spent more time outdoors than I have sense we purchased our home. Each day I make it my aim to capture something new. God is never lacking in creativity. Without fail He makes old things new. An old drainage ditch becomes a rapid river with enough rainfall. Empty fields filled with flowers feel like a botanical garden and my absolute favorite thing to behold are bright blue skies that remind me of my childhood.
Family Time
One of my favorite things about sheltering in place is having all of our children young and old together. Our two oldest who are in college, our youngest daughter who is a junior in high school and our intermediate school students. There is never a dull moment. We've played group games, piled in our bedroom to watch movies and listened to my husband share from a collection of Bible stories that were a childhood gift from my dad back in 1984.
I'm Tired of this Church
There was a video out a few years back of a little boy who got up before his church congregation and when he held the microphone to his mouth he said "I'm tired of this Church!" It was a redemptive moment for anyone who has ever thought in their head what this kid had the courage to say out loud. One frequent expression from Christians during the pandemic is the freedom of not being hyperextended from church commitments. Pastors learned to pivot towards virtual services and parishioners aren't complaining. This little boy might have been speaking up on behalf of everyone who has ever felt like they were sacrificing their family on the altar of ministry.
How have you found purpose during this time?
In case you can use some help check out the following 20 self-care tips.
