There are many voices competing for our attention when it comes to COVID-19. From people who insist this is nothing more than a political hoax and a mild flu, to those who see it as an assassin and are afraid to the point of being unable to function. Whatever you think about it doesn’t matter.
What matters is how you are responding.
My insightful wife pointed out to me that, even during isolation, quarantine and social distancing, we are coming together in community in so many ways we weren’t before this crisis. People are reaching out to their neighbors and asking if they can pick up milk for them at the store. Families are connecting in ways that our busyness before did not allow. Every evening shift change we head to our balconies and applaud the efforts of our essential workers. Those who quietly serve are appreciated more than ever. And it’s awesome!
So what is your heart telling you in the midst of this? What, or more accurately, who comes to mind? Maybe it’s all the hospitality workers who’ve found themselves suddenly unemployed. Maybe it’s the small businesses who are struggling to survive. I’m sure there is something that nudges your heart. Follow that nudge. Do something tangible. Do something practical. Order takeout! Have the whole family bang pots and pans on the balcony at 7pm tonight! Pray!
My heart is telling me not to forget those who are don’t have the privileges I do. The homeless don’t have a home to self isolate. They don’t have the resources or the ability to stock up on toilet paper or a cache of food. What is going to happen when COVID-19 hits developing countries where, according to the World Bank, up to 80% of the population live on less than $3.20 per day? Living hand-to-mouth in a packed slum, in a country with poor medical services and no money to even pay for them when they do get sick. It’s scary to think about, but what scares me even more is how easy it is to forget about them.
One way I have found that helps keep me grounded and thinking about others over my own troubles is to be grateful. I am grateful to be alive, for family and friends, for the experiences that life has given me.
It is my faith that enables my gratefulness and sustains me.
COVID-19 reminds us that we are all in a global community. Pray for each other. Be generous with what you have and have faith! This event will pass and when it does, live life and do it abundantly! Times like this remind us of what’s important.
Now it’s your turn. What is your heart telling you?
