We started this season with the blooming of new life and increasing sunlight, yet things felt dark and uncertain. We didn’t understand the virus or its impact on us. We were figuring things out as we went.
Day-by-day. Week-by-week.
Now, here we are, and the weather has changed again. The leaves that once sprung from nothing have dropped to the earth. The days are shorter, the temperature colder. The only constant is the raging of an invisible war claiming the lives of many.
We entered a new normal of mask wearing, elbow bumping, and panic every time you wake up feeling a little less than 100%.
Is this COVID? I asked myself when my alarm went off at 4 am. As I pulled myself out of bed and dressed for the hospital the list of questions ran through my head.
- Headache? Yes, but that’s always there. I should probably drink more water today.
- Cough? No.
- Sore throat? No.
- GI upset? No.
- Fever? No.
- Can I Smell? Taste? Yep. Thank goodness.
No new symptoms other than fatigue.
Over these last few months I’ve caught myself wishing the days to pass faster – “We just need to get through this to the other side”.
But what if we leaned in a little more? What would we find?
At the beginning of 2020 I wrote that I wanted to be willing to be surprised, and to be open to the unexpected. We have certainly been surprised, and 2020 has been full of the unexpected, both good and bad.
Some of the things I’ve been incredibly grateful for have only happened because of the pandemic. Things like:
- Facetime in general
- Facetime celebrations of love
- Backyard brunch and dinner
- Drive-in movie theaters
- Learning to fly fish
- Park gatherings with loved ones
- Date nights at home
What have you been grateful for since the start of the pandemic?
Glimpse of Grace 