“You’re not ‘stuck at home’, you’re safe at home. One word can change your attitude.”
~ Unknown
I have heard several people comment about our president’s recommendation for a stay-in-place for the month of April. Some are lamenting that he backtracked on his hopes for us to be back to normal by Easter. Others are saying that we might likely be in a stay-in-place mode for the month of May as well. There is a huge amount of uncertainty at this point in time. Uncertainty breeds anxiety. Anxiety breeds stress. Stress breeds snapping and bad manners.
That is where so many are at right now: snapping at one another because of the stress of the unknown. Many are complaining because they have to stay at home. They say that “nothing” is happening. Experts are saying, “Precisely!” They state that there is little happening because people are following the recommendation to remain at home and, therefore, the virus is not spreading as fast.
However, it is still spreading and the apex is not near yet. We still have time on our hands and we need to focus our energies on how we are spending our time. We could focus negatively and complain about everything along the way. Or we could focus positively and cite the fact that we are well and that we are looking forward to what we are going to do when things get better.
I still maintain that our time at home will be much better on all of us if we add extra time for and with God. If we fill our time with senseless activities, that is exactly what we will become: senseless. If, on the other hand, we fill our times with pray and holiness, that is what we can become: holy.
Since that is what Lent is all about anyway, let us rededicate ourselves to the promises that we made when we entered the season of Lent. Let us spend a good amount of time in prayer and let us spend time with the Lord. He is perfectly poised to carry us through this trying time if we allow Him to do so.
FAITH ACTION: If you have been testy lately because of the extra demands of the present time, ask God to help you choose the words you speak to others with great care today.