Choose Joy: Giving Thanks for the Bright Spots

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, rejoicing seems to be the last thing on people’s minds. However, in thinking about how the coronavirus has altered our lives, it’s not all bad news. In fact, there have many bright spots to celebrate. So as I sit here at home, I thought it’d be nice to take a minute and give thanks for just a few of the blessings that have resulted from these unusual times.

Turning Lemons into Lemonade

Technology for the Win: So, we just have to start right here. People complain all the time about technology, and like anything else, it can be overused and misused. But y’all, technology has been a saving grace in the midst of this storm.

• Retail and restaurants – While this sector of our economy remains devastatingly impacted by having to close their doors to customers, what a blessing to live in an age where we can place online orders. I realize it doesn’t compare to foot traffic, but at least it offers the opportunity for a continued revenue stream, even if it is measurably smaller. There will be casualties, for sure, but if something like this had happened 20+ years ago, most retailers and restaurants would not have been able to ride the tide.
• Zoom* – Or whatever video conferencing platform you find yourself using. While nothing beats a face-to-face conversation, Zoom meetings have been a nice, temporary substitute. Designed for the workplace, videoconferencing, coupled with cloud-based applications, certainly has helped keep the organizational wheels turning as businesses send employees home to work remotely. However, it’s also been used just for fun. Friends are gathering online for virtual happy hours, and small groups of varying kinds are using it to stay connected. Soon, I’ll be “zooming” with my book club, and I can’t wait. Until we gather back together, web conferencing has been a fun add-on.
• eLearning – In March, extended Spring Breaks quickly morphed into K-12 and university closures. While the transition to online learning wasn’t as high a hurdle for those in higher education, distance learning in the K-12 classroom stands as the exception rather than the norm, and I couldn’t begin to imagine what that would look like, particularly at the elementary levels. But no surprise, our educators found a way to make it happen. All of the school districts around me have been doing some incredible things, and they had little time to figure it all out. The learning continues, and although it looks quite different, I continue to be blown away by the creativity and flexibility of our students and teachers. 

You Gotta Have Faith: Get yourself to church! Well, not literally, of course, at least right now, but whatever excuse you had before for not attending, no longer applies. As a society, we’ve allowed many other things to eclipse time in worship, but now everyone’s calendar is clear! Thanks to technology, churches of all sizes now have online options for worship, and in many cases, you can pick the platform (streaming, Facebook Live, YouTube Live, etc.) to watch and listen.

So, if you are not connecting with a regular church home, now’s the time to “visit” without the awkwardness {sometimes} of being a visitor! Win-win for all of you introverts out there. Virtually visit churches close to where you live, if possible, because once we’re back to congregating, you will want to check things out in person. Trust me on this. And if you can’t trust me, then trust God’s Word. Hebrews 10:25 says, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…”

There is a great deal more that comes from physically attending and engaging with other believers in corporate worship, so take this unexpected pause in life to find your place. I love this quote by President Theodore Roosevelt: “You may worship God anywhere, at any time, but the chances are that you will not do so unless you have first learned to worship Him somewhere in some particular place, at some particular time.”

Seek God’s Presence.
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. 

Time to Rest: March was the month of cancellations and postponements. Each day, I found myself deleting something else from my calendar. Having big events, trips and special occasions placed in limbo or canceled has been disappointing, and staying at home loses its novelty after a period of time. However, in this break from busyness, it seems many have taken a positive approach to chase away boredom:

• Increased physical activity: It’s been nice to see families taking walks together or riding bikes. Our dog King now often goes on two walks a day, which is good for him and us! Additionally, what a blessing that we’re dealing with this in the spring rather than winter. 
• Family time: Playing games, working puzzles, trying new recipes, making crafts, working on home projects, teaching new skills, gardening. Those are all good things. We won’t be under “stay at home” orders forever, so enjoy these moments while you have them.
• Caring community: It has been heartwarming to see people banding together in thoughtful and creative ways to support and encourage one another. When the schools closed, nonprofits and support organizations wasted no time jumping in to ensure students and families who relied on certain services would have needed support. You can read one of those inspiring stories HERE. From sewing masks, participating in #TheGreatAmericanTakeout, and donating supplies (or in some cases RVs) to simply checking on elderly neighbors and writing notes to encourage friends, we’ve seen wonderful examples of kindness and generosity.

Although I’m ready to put this experience with COVID-19 behind us, I’m grateful for these things I see as bright spots. While I know all of us are ready for a return to normal, I’m hopeful some of the good that’s resulted might remain long past our call to “social distance.”

In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, much remains outside my control. However, I can control my response. So for me, I’m choosing to focus on the positive rather than the negative and remembering that God is at work even in times of trial.  

I choose God, and because of Him, I also choose joy.

What about you? What things will you celebrate? God will sustain you (Psalm 55:22); do you have your eyes on Him?

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