Choosing to Face the Effects of Uncertainty
My youngest daughter, Christa, is home for spring break from college.
Only it’s not the spring break she planned on.
It’s not the spring break hundreds of thousands of college students planned on.
After I wrote that last sentence my husband, Rob, Christa, and I paused to do some quick mental math and decided the sentence should read “millions of college students.”
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) has demolished expectations around the world.
Christa arrived at Denver International Airport four days ago with two suitcases and two backpacks. One backpack was full of college textbooks and weighed so much I was scared to try and pick it up.
Christa’s happy to be home … and she misses her life back on campus. These ongoing circumstances are not what she ever imagined for her freshman year in college. She’s sleeping in her bedroom at home, with a lot of her belongings in her dorm room at Bethel University in Minnesota.
Classes? Canceled. Volleyball practice? Canceled. Time with friends? Canceled. Her two jobs? Canceled.
I like to say there’s no pause button on life. But the events of the last few weeks feel as if an unseen hand hit PAUSE on life, doesn’t it?
And we don’t know when the START button is going to be activated.
Uncertainty in the short-term is uncomfortable. If it continues to linger, uncertainty – doubt, insecurity – tends to invite fear.
I think we would all agree that times are uncertain right now. We’re all asking questions like “Will the store have what I’m looking for?” (It will if everyone will be reasonable) to “When can I go back to work?” to “Am I going to get sick?”
We just don’t know.
And we’re all scared. To some degree or another, we’re scared.
There. I said it out loud.
I don’t want to be scared. I don’t really believe in a giant unseen hand. I believe in God who has proven to be trustworthy again and again, but yeah, this whole COVID-19 thing? It has scared me.
When I get scared I take a deep breath, admit it, and choose to trust God, not my emotions.
Maybe I laugh at a funny meme or read an encouraging post or listen to a favorites praise and worship song. (Right now “His Banner Over Me is Love” is a favorite.)
And repeat, repeat, repeat.
You know what else I’ve decided during this time of uncertainty?
I’ve decided to listen.
Everyone has their own story, their own feelings, about what’s going on. I know mine. I want to know others’ stories.
We are connected by our stories.
Yes, we’re spending time in our homes. A lot more time than we ever imagined. Our normal routines have been interrupted for who-knows-how-long. But we can still connect with each other and share our stories. Our fears. Our hopes. What’s working for us during this time of “social distancing.” What’s not working.
Tell me how you’re doing. I really want to know … I want to know you better.
Choosing to Face the Effects of Uncertainty http://bit.ly/2xHVK2E #coronavirus #hope
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'Uncertainty is the refuge of hope.' Quote by Henri Frederic Amiel http://bit.ly/2xHVK2E #uncertainty #coronavirus #hope
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