Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4
As we have been told countless times, this last year was unprecedented. Life as we knew it was turned upside down. People were getting infected and dying. Hospital staffs were overwhelmed. Businesses, schools, churches and more closed their doors. For some people, all of this unwelcomed change was more of a nuisance than anything else. For others, it was and is a nightmare of unmeasurable proportions.
In light of all of this, we might assume that nothing about this last year has been of any value. While I can certainly appreciate the feeling, I think that Covid 19 has indeed taught us some things about ourselves that we’ve needed to learn. If we do learn them, we will not only enjoy the blessings that will come when the pandemic ends, but we will also enjoy the benefits that come from lessons that can only be learned through times of refining fire.
As I have thought about these things, I would like to offer 10 observations about this last year that can help us live better lives in the future. The first five will be shared in this post. The remaining five will come in the next one.
Observation 1: Every day we have to live is a gift.
Because of the pace of modern life, many of us just skim over the top of our days without ever slowing down. We’re thinking about tomorrow, next week or next year. Thus we fail to savor the current moment. Yet this year has shown us that each day is a gift to be cherished. The examples are many. Time with family was found to be a precious treasure. A slower pace allowed us to notice the beauty of nature. All of the limitations allowed us to recognize what is truly important. As we come out of this pandemic, may we continue to prize each day for the gift that is and receive it as a welcomed expression of God’s loving care.
Observation 2: The real heroes are those who serve us.
In our celebrity crazed culture, we have tended to view entertainers and professional athletes as our heroes. We crave more information about their lives. We listen to what they have to say. We even wear clothing with their names on our backs. But this last year has shown us that we have better heroes than they are. Obviously, we think of the front line workers who labored long hours in dangerous environments to provide care for those who were sick. But I also think of grocery store clerks, gas station attendants, retail workers and more who continued to provide the necessary resources to sustain us. They too put their lives at risk for our sake. They are the true heroes. May we give them the respect they are due as we thank them for their service.
Observation 3: Denying ourselves for the sake of others is more challenging than we want to admit.
Theoretically, Christ followers know that they are supposed to deny themselves in order to take up their cross and follow Jesus. But knowing it and living according to it are very different things. We were told, for instance, not to hoard paper products. Yet I saw several examples of people with grocery store carts full of paper towels and toilet paper. We struggled wearing a mask to keep others safe because wearing one was too uncomfortable or felt like an imposition forced upon us by government overreach. The bottom line is that we don’t really want to deny ourselves for the sake of others. We’ll use whatever angle we have to take care of ourselves even if that hurts some unknown person. This is an area of discipleship where we have a long way to go.
Observation 4: Nothing in the temporal world is ever safe from change.
Change is a four letter word. This has nothing to do with the letter count. It’s about our visceral hatred of anything that threatens the things we like. We get comfortable with ways of doing things. We want them to stay that way. So if anything comes along that portends to change them, we resist it with every ounce of our being. And we believe that if we resist strong enough and long enough, we can keep change at bay. But this year has shown us with great clarity that change is inevitable. It’s going to come whether we like it or not. In fact, there is little doubt but that many things will be very different after the pandemic is over than they were before it all started. Finding a way to accept the reality of change instead of always fighting against it will help us live into the future that’s coming anyway.
Observation 5: Human connection is a foundational need.
Recently, I saw a news’ report about a grandmother who had received her second Covid vaccine shot. The doctor handed her a prescription giving her permission to hug her grandchildren. The report showed the moment when the hug happened. You couldn’t help but be moved by the great emotion that was shared when for the first time in a year, grandmother and grandchild were able to embrace. This reminds us just how much we need human connection. Though the need for social distancing necessitated limitations on our ability to be together, it did not erase the need to be with others in meaningful ways. As the pandemic ends, we have the blessed opportunity to renew those bonds of love in tangible ways. Let us be intentional about it.
As usual, Brian, you are right on target. Thanks for providing food for thought. I look forward to reading observations 6-10 next week.