2 minute read
Appreciate the Day You Have!
by Carlin Armstead
Chaos (complete disorder and confusion) can present itself in a variety of ways. Who would ever think that scenes of chaos depicted in movies and television shows would become reality? The pandemic known as COVID-19, or Coronavirus, is truly fiction that is now a reality.
Imagine people becoming violently ill and dying only because they were in the midst of others, who were doing something as natural as breathing and talking. It has happened over the past few months and continues to ravage society. The chaos that accompanies this plague includes, fear, isolation, pain, death, economic disaster, and destruction of socialization.
In a way, the lack of socialization is the most chaotic development for me. I have not been able to talk face to face, shake hands with, or hug other human beings for more than two months. I am an affectionate/emotional person, with no option but to adjust to these changes.
Being so isolated makes me miss my church family. I appreciate the scripture that states, “Not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25 (KJV). I believe that when First Church comes back physically as a congregation, we will appreciate the act of worshipping together like never before because we are, both individually and collectively, the Church.
Amid the chaos, there are opportunities and I believe that is what we should focus on to get us through this period of unease, uncertainty, and unpredictability. These opportunities include spending time and improving our relationships with God, ourselves, and our families.
Spending time with God in prayer and in the Word of God is crucial. Sometimes, the busyness of the world distracts man’s relationship with God. When something catastrophic happens, we seem to redirect, rethink, and refocus our attention on God and each other. We tend to slow down when the world slows down.
Taking inventory of our individual lives is an opportunity to reflect, revise, and redeem ourselves, with the goal of conquering this thing called life. The bridge to encouraging and helping others is built as we open ourselves and experience self-growth. It is okay to put yourself first, especially now.
Spending time with family is an opportunity to stop and get to know individual members. What happened to dinner at the table, game/movie time, playing outside? Those are activities that I grew up doing. They are simple and not that time-consuming. They help us enhance relationships that lead to better lifestyles. We, as a society, have gotten away from these things. Social media is too impersonal, informal, and artificial (technology).
I believe that this time of chaos will pass and that we will appreciate our freedom and one another more than we have in the most recent past. Going back to the way things were before COVID-19 Coronavirus is not an option. It has changed us forever. Now let us bring our individual lights together to light up the world and bring a fresh, positive approach to living life.
