5 Ways our lives can point to Jesus through the Pandemic

I hope you all had a great Easter.  I’m sure for most of you it felt different.  I know for us it did.  It was the first major holiday that we spent at home.  I have to admit personally it felt refreshing.  I was able to spend some quality time with my family and with God.   I had a profound yet simple thought that hit me like a ton of bricks.  “This (this season/this pandemic) is NOT about me!  Its about God!”  Insert mind blown emoji.  I won’t pretend that life has been easy or I haven’t had some really tough days but knowing that God has a PLAN and PURPOSE makes all the difference.  I finished a book this week called “You’re Already Amazing” by Holly Gerth and in it she say’s “when we mess up, it can feel as if the sky is going to crash down around us.  But as much as it may seem like it our lives are not about us.  They’re about our maker.”  I want everything I do to glorify him.  I know for some of you that sounds like a lot of pressure right now.  Let me ease your concern and tell you that God does NOT expect us to be perfect or to have everything together.  You are HUMAN.  You are not God.  You are allowed to have a bad day!  I want to share with you 5 ways that we can point to Jesus in this season.  

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1. Spend Time in Gods Word & in Prayer 

If you don’t do another thing all day, do this!  EVERY morning I have made this a priority.  I spend about 30 mins on our 4 season porch with a cup of coffee and my Bible.  This time prepares me for the day ahead.  I have incorporated a time of Bible reading and prayer time with the kids before bed as well.  My son Theo and I have been working through the Kids Bible App (YouVersion).  Its a lot of fun.  Its interactive so we get to answer questions and collect points, make characters do stuff.  We’ve enjoyed it.  The other night one of the questions that popped up was “Does God ever stop loving us?”  Theo very abruptly says “NO! AND we never die, because Jesus died, was raised and now lives!  So we never die!”  He caught me by utter surprise but while I was still pondering what he just said – he was onto the next thing.  I almost stopped him and paused the teaching so that I could explain more to him but the Holy Spirit gently told me NO!  I was overcome with so much emotion at that moment.  We think our kids don’t get it or that they aren’t listening BUT they are!!  Not only that but they also have access to the Holy Spirit!  The Holy Spirit didn’t just come to speak to us adults.  He is living in our kids also.  What great news?!

2. Spread Joy

Ding Dong Ditch, Good old fashioned snail mail, a phone call, etc.  Instead of sharing what we have done personally to spread joy (because I’m an avid believer in “not letting your right hand know what your left is doing”) I will share a couple of moments that have blessed my heart and my family during this crisis.  In fact just as I am writing this post I heard the doorbell rang and outside our front door was a box of fresh fruit.  Any day I would have been blessed by this kindness but especially now.  Going to the grocery store these days are hard and very stressful for me.  

Recently also I had 2 friends send me encouraging messages (email and messenger).  They really touched my heart.  The messages were simple but made me feel like I was not alone I had friends who genuinely care.  Moments like these give my soul fuel.  This leads beautifully into my next point.

3. Be a Friend

We were never meant to do life alone!  I know in this season the isolation can drive us mad.  How can you be creative so that you can abide by the guidelines of social distancing but still let your friends know that they are not alone?  The Bible verse that comes to mind here is Ecclesiastes 4:9-10  “Two are better then one, because they have a good return for their labor:  If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.  But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help pick them up.”  We can get caught up in the first part of that verse but I actually want to look at the end of that verse more closely.  “But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help pick them up.”  Friendships are an investment.  A lifelong investment.  In order to have a friend there to help you when your in need, you also need to be that friend.  Proverbs 18:24 says “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin.”  If you want a reliable friend you need to BE a reliable friend.  How can you be a reliable friend right now?  Make a phone call.  Check in with your friends.  Ask God “What does so and so need today?”  We need each other.  Life is hard.  Be a good friend.

4. Make the Most of this Time

When this crisis first hit I was all like okay this sucks but I am going to make EVERY DAY Count!!!  About 2 weeks in I hit a wall.  I crashed.  Hard.   Yes, make this time matter but remember to give yourself grace (I will hit on this more later in the post).  My new goal has been simply; NO REGRETS!   We are living in historic times.  We will forever remember this time.  I want to look back on this time and feel proud.  I want my family to grow closer to God and grow closer as a family.  What are some ways that you can make this time special for yourself and your family?  I’ve been trying to journal 1-3 sentences everyday.  I’m also trying to build in special moments with the kids.  We’ve done some special crafts, had more family game nights, baked and went on lots of walks/bike rides.  Now is a good time to make some of those “special projects” that you’ve pushed aside happen.  David recently added to our play structure outside.  A project we’ve had on the list for over a year.  Every family is different so our goals here will look different.  That’s OKAY!  

5. Give Grace

Give grace to your kids, husband, family, friends and MOST importantly YOU!  Why is it that we have no problem giving the stranger at the market grace or a friend grace but we don’t afford ourself grace?  Times are tough.  Its hard.  I told my husband this morning “people are finally seeing how hard it is to work from home when you have kids”.  Something I’ve been doing for several years now.  This time is still a challenge in that I don’t have outlets to go to and take a breath- like the coffee shop, target, Barns and Noble, or even the kids drop in daycare.  Places I used to go to for a little reprieve.  Also the level of workload I have has increased since the kids both started school this year.  So having them at home all day everyday while taking on all of the new projects hasn’t been ideal.  HOWEVER-  I have learned to give myself grace.  Im a work in progress.  Some days I’m super hard on myself and other days I allow myself to cry and eat ice cream.  I would say the same to you my friend.  Allow yourself to cry and eat ice cream.  Don’t do it everyday but DO allow yourself those moments.  There is a podcast I recently started listening to called “The Lazy Genius.” Her philosophy is to be lazy about the things that don’t matter and productive with the things that do matter (my summary). Its a great podcast that I have found great freedom in. I am a perfectionist through and through but God does not require perfection. Perfection is a myth.

We need to extend grace to our spouse and kids as well.  They are going to have tough days too.   Give them the space they need.  My son was having a tough morning with school work one morning and he tells me “your not my teacher, your not even my substitute teacher!”  He’s seven- 1st grade.  Although he’s adjusted well he also has moments of frustration.  At first I wanted to laugh (if I’m honest) but I simply told him to go find his “calm” spot and take some time to cool off.  He did just that and the day went off without a hitch.  Allow yourself that same space.  Its okay to not be okay.  Don’t beat yourself up for not being “cupcakes and rainbows” everyday.  We are living in dark, scary times.  We don’t need to live in fear but we also don’t need to have it all together.  “Progress, not perfection” it my mantra.   I say it a lot because I know I need to hear it.

I would like to leave you with this:

“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