COVID. A single word that can bring so many different emotions to the surface it is hard to believe. I think it is safe to say that in the year of 2020-2021, COVID is the single most powerful word, it invokes fear, anger, disappointment, and restraint. In Ontario we are now in the third lock down so far. In a lot of ways this last lock down makes no sense. We are allowed 5 people outside together but we are supposed to stay home. We can have 15% at church but they have closed down the schools. We can only buy essential items but who decides what is essential?
*Disclaimer: I wrote this on April 16 before the latest announcement was made.
People are getting sick of COVID, it is something we can all relate too. Something my principle said in his email informing us teachers regarding the third distance learning this school year, was the inspiration for this blog post. He said “Everyone I meet is feeling the frustration- not everyone is seeing through it to the opportunities. What does God want to teach you? What disciplines may He be aimed at growing in your life? How does He want to use you in another person’s life right now?” This got me thinking of all the ways that COVID has been a blessing in our life.
BLESSINGS
1. Participating in youth events with Kevin in Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Belize all while we were separated physically during quarantine.
2.When Kevin moved to Ontario, we were not swamped with social gatherings but rather could focus on our relationship and the relationship with my family and the couple he was living with.
3.Growing creatively as a person, teacher, and friend. Learning how to keep the classroom fun and engaging while keeping students from touching other’s things, setting up bi-weekly video chats with my friends, Christmas gift exchanges and parties over zoom, game nights with friends in Nova Scotia, and allowing myself to sit alone in a room and not only learn to be ok with that but learn to love It.
4.The opportunity to plan the wedding that we wanted instead of the pressure of falling into societies normal expectations for weddings.
5.The opportunity to have a “month-long honeymoon” because of quarantining (due to exposure) and the first distance learning section of this school year. Kevin was at work 2 days before quarantining for 2 weeks and I taught 3 days before we moved to distance learning.
6.When school moved to the second stint of distance learning after Christmas is when Kevin was at his worse and it allowed me to stay home with him instead of at school worrying all day.
I might have missed some things, I know there are many things to be grateful for in this time, but that was not what my principle was referring to, his question was what have/could you learn from this?
I have learned that I am a much more introverted person then people give me credit for. I have learned that family is very important to me. I have learned that it is important to stay connected with people, most people get distracted by their own lives (including me). If you want connection you need to make it happen yourself. I have learned that attending a new church is difficult but even more so when you can’t go because your husband is sick and when you do go you are not supposed to socialize too much. I have learned that making new friends is hard whenever social gatherings get shut down before you get to go, but I have learned it is not impossible. I have learned to be controlled with my thoughts, actions, and words. I have learned to dig into God’s word to find out what to do, think, and say. I have learned to stand for what I believe quietly.
Most of all I have learned that God has a plan. We do not get to know what that plan is, and honestly that is a good thing. Jesus knew what God's plan was for His life and He sweat great drops of blood. I am just glad that I know that God has a plan. Everything is going to make perfect sense one day. Maybe not in this life time, but I think when we get to heaven, we will be able to watch a replay of our lives and see how God worked everything out. How he placed all the pieces into place and how one thing that sucked for me meant the world to someone else.
I want to be the kind of person that someone says, “I want to be like her when I grow up. Look at her faith and trust in a God that she cannot see. Look how she smiles in the face of adversity knowing that she is taken care of by a God who loves her more then she could imagine.”
The world feels upside down right now, on so many fronts, but when our world is upside down I believe that is when God likes working the best.
