A headline proclaimed that elementary schools may open to students again soon. A drop in tests producing positive results brings hope with each day. Though fears exist as to if there will be round 2 of the pandemic, some normality emerges with each passing day. I sit here on Friday night and recall what life looked like prior to the shutdown. I remember the non-stop pursuit of everything.
Now, six months later, I look at what I have learned in the pandemic. Were there lessons to be garnered? Absolutely, and those who are wise embrace the knowledge gained and carry it forward. As a writer and a pastor, I thought I would share what I learned.
1 - Slowing down is a good thing. The ever-existent pursuit of whatever we pursue keeps life in motion. Reaching goals brings fulfillment and satisfaction, but never taking a breather along the way is dangerous. God created us to take a moment rather than live full-throttle. Just as the Creator of the heavens and earth, the One who designed our lives, took a break after creation, we need the break as well. In the Ten Commandments, God said, "You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work - you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the foreigner within your gates." (Exodus 20:9-10 HCSB) He was right. I lived wrong. Most of us did. Our mistake was to say we would slow down later. God said to slow down weekly.
2 - Enjoy who you have. Most nights, I return home late. Pandemic life meant less meetings, less late-night commitments. I discovered time for my children. Whether it was setting off sparklers in the driveway, making homemade pizzas, or even the game of Monopoly that lasted forever, time often neglected became time embraced. One night, we stood in the garage and threw Snap 'N Pops for a half-hour. Furthermore, I had more time to meet with God. The clearing of a schedule meant I had no excuse to push God down the line.
3 - Enjoy what you have. For weeks, I preached in an empty sanctuary. At most, I was there with the sound guys and the video guy. Most of the time, however, it was me and the Holy Spirit in that place. I missed the congregation so deeply that we planned a cookout when we were able to meet in person again. Never did I think we could see a season where we could not meet in church. When it happened, I found how desperately I need the body of Christ together.
4 - Don't go back. They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly while expecting a different result. If I learned anything during the pandemic, I learned not to go back to what I knew before. God tore down idols in my life (sports, work habit, etc.) and now, I assert not to go back to that life I knew before.
A pandemic shook all we knew. The life of yesterday differs from the life of today. Though it is hard to praise the Lord in the middle of storms like this, I know we can still praise Him because we needed life to be shaken up. I, for one, will only praise because it was a pandemic that forced me to reassess who I am, where I was headed, and what took priority in my life. How about you? Has it changed you?
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