Thursday, March 17
The New Normal
I can do all things through him who strengthens me. —Philippians 4:13
Throughout the pandemic, I have heard people express their frustrations: they are tired of staying home, sick of wearing a mask, confused by vaccine news and changing protocols, and frustrated by social distancing. I understand these feelings. For me, life never seemed to pause. We continued our work without a break, we just changed how we delivered our university courses. Students were more needy, and I still had to write, research, and perform my service work while helping my own child learn from home. I was working more than ever.
Like others, we missed seeing friends, going to movies, taking vacations, dining out. Yet I was cognizant of opportunities to develop new behaviors. I started doing yoga each day, made changes to our home, and focused on my son’s education. We cooked more, talked more, and committed more energy to our homelife. And, although we worked more, we also played more. We rode bikes together, we went for hikes, and we read together. We also prayed diligently.
We practiced gratitude daily. I noticed that, more than ever before in my life, thankfulness poured out of me. And the more we practiced appreciation for the smallest things, the more we noticed how many things there were to give God thanks for. I was often touched at how many things our son, six years old at the time the pandemic began, could identify as things he was grateful for each night. I often listened to him and took a deep breath, drinking in how refreshingly beautiful it was to hear a little boy lift his gratitude to the Lord. I have found prayer, reflection, meditation, and deep breath work to all come easier during this time of isolation.
Moving forward, I hope dining out remains a rarity and cooking together remains our family normal. I hope Lego-building days and game nights are here to stay. Most importantly, I hope I never forget the importance of daily gratitude, reflection, and prayer.
Thank you God for showing us opportunities to grow closer to you even when our world seems upside down. We know our strength comes from you. We give thanks to you for all the gifts you bestow on us including our food, our shelter, and the love of friends and family. We pray that we will see and use opportunities to grow closer to you during Lent and throughout the year. Amen.
Jen Curry Csaszar