4/7/2020 0 Comments FlippedWhen the world shut down two weeks, I went into a frantic, panic driven state of spending. I bought the largest tube of hamburger meat the grocery store had, I desperately searched for yeast and toilet paper on the bare aisles of the local supermarket, and I stood in an extremely long line in the grocery store with enough pantry staples to feed my family for weeks during the upcoming Armageddon. Then I caught my breath and remembered the words of my God and I felt a weird peace come over me.
The warehouse where I work experienced a similar shift in the product flow. At first, we were inundated with orders. One that really stood out in my mind was a single person who ordered 24 cases of toilet paper. I was flabbergasted. I could even find one roll at the grocery store and this guy would soon have a garage full. Every order was like that, cases of toilet paper, water bottles, cleaning supplies, and shelf stable food items flew through our warehouse every day. It was like Christmas peak without the festive music in the background. We were feeling a little worn down and worried by the added volume and the new rules for social distancing in an environment that requires close quarters physical labor. It was a little stressful. Then the same surge of peace flowed through my veins. This assurance that the abnormal upheaval of now wasn’t going to last forever and it was going to be okay. After I felt the calm in my spirit, a noticeable flip occured at the warehouse as well. The flow of packages remained steady, but the products changed. People were ordering bikes and scooters for the kids that were now trapped in their homes for the foreseeable future. Small, outdoor place yards were wrestled onto carts to be delivered to homes across the metro. Books seemed to experience a surge in popularity. Computer desks, chairs, and laptops also experienced an upturn in popularity. If people were going to have to work from home, they wanted to do it in comfort and style! The standard fare of dog food and diapers remained a steady constant to remind us of what we once used to complain about, but the new brought insight into the minds of those who dictated our steps and kept us employed. Everyday was a shift. We were once the lowly warehouse workers that no one wanted to be, now we had one of the most in demand jobs in this new economy. I will admit that I actually liked my job and the people I worked with before this shift, I was just glad that some of these people could find pride where once they didn’t. My job wasn’t the only thing that changed. My affection for people I hadn’t seen in ages grew. Suddenly, the need to talk and connect with others became an ache. I purposely called, texted,or messaged people that had slipped from view with the busyness of life. The things that had mattered two week earlier: sports, entertainment, travel, fashion, etc; didn’t seem so pressing or large anymore. God and others occupied my thoughts and mind most of the time, and the rest of the world shared in my realization. I would pull up social media and see story after story of a person doing the right thing in the face of the pandemic. People singing to each other from rooftops in Italy or praying in parking lots in New York, The world had exhaled and humanity was holding on while it caught its breath. My daily walks with the dog took me past playgrounds that were filled with children one week and then covered with caution tape the next. That was eye opening. Our city shut down the playgrounds to keep people safe and flatten the curve, but what about the mom stuck inside with scared children who didn’t understand. Where would she find relief now? Each week , the mandates for social distancing became stronger and more readily enforced. Periodic emails from my job kept me abreast of the newest policy. The news spewed out theories and advice that contradicted itself on a regular basis. One day we were told not to bother with masks, the next day masks were a good idea. Facebook was filled with posts featuring one good Samaritan who made masks and the next would be someone mocking the same person. The gentleness after the initial panic had turned to restlessness and anger. I believe it was fueled by the fear of the unknown and the obvious uncertainty of the future. The longer this lasts, the more devastating to the economy. Then the unthinkable happened, it suddenly hit home. The virus claimed the life of a dear friend in a quick and cruel way. We couldn’t gather for a funeral or a graveside memorial, we couldn’t weep and hug and remember together. There wasn’t the comforting touch from a friend to help when the dark came. There was nothing but distance and a suffocating isolation. Nothing to do but pray and so I did. I called out to our God who had told me just a week earlier that things were going to be okay, spoke to my heart and said “I’ve got you.” I stammered and asked about the things being okay promised earlier. It was then that heard the most non-reassuring assurance ever. Things will eventually turn out okay, but the right now will be rough. This is a pandemic, people are dying all over the world. Pain and grief will be experienced, but God has the last word. Normalcy is a fallacy. The bubble of false security I have bought into believing isn’t real. Our savior suffered and died on a cross so we could live in eternity with Him. He didn’t die to make our life easier. If we aren’t living for Him daily, are we really living? The things that were so important mid March: NBA, NCAA basketball, new movies, trips, vacations, travel plans, musicals, school, college, pedicures, and so many other things were cancelled in an instant. The doing of our lives stopped and we have been forced to just be. I have both relished and hated this time. But my reaction to it doesn’t change the fact that I am still forced to shelter in place. My attitude is the only thing I can control right now. Like everyone else, I have a choice to make. Do I believe and trust God when the world is going crazy, or do I melt into the floor and wait in fear for the end to come? I choose to live in the promises of God. I choose to take the time to pray daily and soak in His word. I choose HIM! But I also choose to see the suffering and hurt around me. I choose to remain active in Christian outreach and not live in an insulated bubble. I choose reach-out to those around me in pain and walk with them through their anxiety towards a place of ease (all at a safe distance, of course). I choose to pray for the massive revival that I have felt is coming for over a year now and believe that good can come from this plague. We are being shaken and what is floating away right now is dross. The things, places, distractions, and busyness we once thought was necessary don’t really matter at all. This is a perfect time to really put our perfect God first because the things of the world have already grown strangely dim. 2020 is the year for focus, all we have to focus on now is God!
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AuthorI am a Christian, a wife, a mom, and a part-time basket case who wants to be a full time writer.
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