It’s now been about a couple of weeks that we have been stuck at home. These are by far the weirdest times I have ever experienced. So many people sick, without jobs, the economy tanking, and no end in sight. So sad, right? I just recur to prayer to be able to process these issues. I can’t fix it. All I can do is pray and stay at home.
Being at home has led me to understand something that for some might be hard to process due to their own present hardships. These are times to be grateful for what we do have. At home we come face-to-face with what we work so hard for: our family, our living space, and all that is within it. The things we don’t have or don’t see can show us this too: sacrifices to accomplish other things like making ends meet or paying off debt, or resources allocated for something fun like a trip. These times force us to ponder on what is important to us.
Not only are we face-to-face with our immediate surroundings, but with who we are as a person as well. Standing bare, with reduced distractions, confronts us with our core. How much of ourselves do we like? How much of what we do truly makes us happy? To where are our decisions leading us? How are we using our resources and connections? Are we investing in ideas that make us richer inside? With what type of things and people have we decided to surround ourselves?
Unfortunately, it’s usually drastic life changes that force us to reevaluate our reality, our truth. We easily make promises so we won’t fall into the traps that ensnare and consume us, turning us into individuals we don’t like to look at in the mirror. Then we forget, until the next crisis surfaces.
2020, the year of vision and new things, can still yield greatness for us. It is just asking us to stand together and work towards uncovering that truth. The strength of the medical staff, the dedication of the grocery stores, the creativity of businesses trying to stay afloat, the patience of parents, the government scrambling to help, will get us there. More importantly, our individual solidarity to those at-risk and to those sick and hurting will stop this virus. We will come out on the other side. This year will show what we are capable of and encourage us to accomplish even greater things in the future.
I pray God gives you strength to face yourself and keep moving forward. I hope that you take inventory of your life and continue investing in the invaluable, and clearing your life of what is robbing you of joy. I hope that the time off normal life that we are forcibly getting and are always looking forward to is a time that you are able to use to reset your brain and love your family and friends, above all the stress under which we are living. I hope that in the midst of discomfort and pain, you are able to be courageous and be grateful for what you do have and for what you maybe had to let go.
Thriving in Simplicity 