Recently learning that our Social Distancing protocol has been extended to the end of April has manifested a myriad of emotions. Without an intent to list every emotional perspective, I think that mentioning a few can be beneficial for our state of mind. Some find themselves bored out of their minds. This is understandable since everyone is typically so busy in everyday life. We work 40+ hours each week. We indulge in entertainment and, wherever possible, we fit our family into our busy schedules. Such busyness has become a way of life. For some it is an escape. Yet for others it is a drudgery. The opposite of busyness creates a sense of restlessness that tends toward boredom. We’ve got to get out of the house. We can’t take it any longer. When can the kids go back to school? When can I get back to work? Still, for others, being stuck at home can ignite an exaggerated level of impatience with each other. The quirkiness that you see in those who are normally not around very often becomes an irritant when they are around all the time. The things which normally would be funny become an annoyance. I think you get the picture. I think that at one point or another we’ve all been-there-done-that. So the key that we must all find to unlock the joy of togetherness is found in these scriptural truths: love God with all you have, love your neighbor as yourself, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. While those three commands might seem to be easy Sunday school answers to our situational boredom and irritability, they bear the foundational load for true peace and joy in our current situations. What key will unlock all of this potential? 1) Pray like you’ve never prayed before. Know that God can- and does- hear our prayers. He knows our needs already, but as a loving Father, He wants to hear from us. 2) Trust like you’ve always wanted to. Sometimes fear pushes our trust to the ground, but we can trust God in everything. We don’t know what this COVID-19 virus will look like next week, next month, and beyond, but we can trust God to see us through. 3) Live like you know that tomorrow’s just around the corner. Today may seem dark and dreary because the future seems so bleak and unknowable. My great-grandmother had a saying that my mom and I still quote to this day: “This life and one more.” This life has its abundant share of sufferings and trials, but because of Jesus, we have hope and peace that passes all understanding, for we know that the best has yet to come: HEAVEN. So, while we’re here on this earth, we would do well to serve God with all our hearts. Someday, we’ll be able to serve Him for all eternity, surrounded by His love and grace. If that doesn’t want to make you shout for joy, here’s a glimpse of what Heaven will be like: “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’ All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: ‘Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!’” (Revelations 7:9-12) That make me want to shout “praise the Lord” and “Amen! Come Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)
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