It seems like I have been working from home forever. Actually, it has been 10 weeks at this point. But the country is beginning to re-open. Stay-at-home orders are expiring in different states. So we decided to ask our radio show listeners what lessons they earned during the stay at home time. They all were quite reflective. Here is what they had to say:
“I got into a consistent exercise time.” Using APPs and working out with personal trainers who made their services available for free, motivated some to daily work outs. Since exercise is good for both health and mental health, this is a new habit we hope continues after we leave our homes.
“I decided to make things beautiful.” A listener learned that she could look around her home environment and begin to transform her setting by making things beautiful. She painted and repaired things and appreciated the beauty of sunsets and nature. Bringing beauty into her home helped transform her mood.
“ I read the classics.” A teacher pulled out her classic books and took time to read. She tried to encourage her students to stay engaged and love literature. Rediscovering books reawakened imaginations and created an appetite to read versus text or be on social media. It was a nice change of pace.
“I thought I was resilient but became increasingly inpatient.” A person did well with the stay at home at first. But like many of us, found himself growing more and more inpatient. His challenge was to practice patience, a fruit of the spirit. Since he basically had no choice, it was a good lesson to slow down and let go of control.
“I found joy.” A millennial listener realized she didn’t need other people to find happiness. As she spent more time with the Lord and centered herself on the words of the Bible, she found joy. Another millennial agreed that reading her Bible was key to staying in the truth and being grounded.
“I realized we have to care about our world and not just America.” A physician realized that we need to care about what is happening globally. She said it was not OK to hear about parts of the world suffering and not be involved in service and prayer. It awakened her compassion for people all over the world who suffer with far fewer resources than we have in America.
“Reading the Bible was key.” Several listeners encouraged us with God’s Word and reminded us we are not in control, but God is. We have his presence and can pray. The Pew Research Center reports that more people are praying for the virus to stop spreading and are using prayer to cope. Our listeners believe in the power of prayer. Several talked about how their faith vanquished fear.
So, we ask you during this time of slow down and being at home, what lessons have you learned? Take a few moments with your family and reflect on this question. Have you developed body, mind and spiritual habits that you would like to continue when life begins to change again? What did God do in you during this time? After all, His promise is to use all things for our good. Think about the good that came even with the disappointments and heartbreaks. Reflect on His goodness.