How many times have I said I wish the world could stop for just a minute? Through hardships, heartbreaks, grieving times, and here we are at a full stop. I can still feel the inertia running through my body as it wants to keep going. I find my mind spinning instead of it resting in the calm as it should, and I am finding myself in a forced sabbath.
It hasn’t been this silent since 9/11. I remember that feeling very well, it was a different feeling than I am experiencing now. I feel like “Mantis” from the second Guardians of the Galaxy. I can feel my own feelings but also the feelings around me.
I am feeling the unsettling of those who are out of work and tight on money, the tensions of not knowing how to help, but wanting too, the fears of not feeling needed at work with conferences being canceled and many projects being put on hold, fear of getting sick, or making someone else sick, irritation to have to stay home and maybe not agreeing with its importance, gratefulness that their family is close, protective of their clean air, fearful they might run out of food, and not be able to buy more, how will we pay our bills….and so much more…
I worry about those who don’t believe in God and His son, Jesus. What hope do they have? What can they cling too? I am reminded of Psalms 23, and it comforts me.
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not [a]want.
2 He makes me to lie down in [b]green pastures;
He leads me beside the [c]still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will [d]dwell in the house of the Lord
[e]Forever.
This may be an uncertain time for those who don’t know God, but for those of us who do we know what to do, and if you don’t I shall remind you.
Pray! This is something the world has not seen since 1918. And even then it was such a different time. So we are in a unique once in a life time situation. Pray for the world, pray for our nation, our leaders, our community, our friends, our family.
Take a deep breath, be thankful for the good things that you do have…ask a good friend to help you with the things you don’t. Swap, trade, give as needed to those in need.
Love on your family. Create good memories. We made a schedule to get school work done, have lunch, recess, and family movie time with a tasty snack. The kids are resilient and enjoying themselves. It doesn’t have to be elaborate.
If you have to work pray before you go, while you are there, and when you leave. Take this time to be a weapon for God. Ask for strength, guidance, and peace so you can be useful during this time.
Be kind, love on each other, be helpful if called upon using wisdom, take a deep breath and inhale peace and exhale worry.
Stay in if you can. If you need to go out take a drive and come back home, don’t go shopping or explore all the empty businesses.
Sabbath seems like such an ancient word, but can be a beautiful thing. We will all remember this as a world…let us be creative, learn something new, teach yourself to knit or crochet, read, write, draw, color, tell your kids stories, take a walk around your house, watch the rain, put a puzzle together, play board games, play cards, laugh…
If you are stuck at home with older family ask them to teach you what they did…the world was once this slow it wasn’t always this fast pace…allow the sabbath to wash over you. Let your fears and worries out to God and let them there…then take advantage of this time to just be.
If you need face to face you are in luck this is a technology world FaceTime a friend! Be creative and play games over a computer platform like zoom. Use your minds to be social but separate but be sure to take time with your yourself and God and your family!
Love you all! Trying with you to enjoy this forced sabbath.
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