Today, it may be easy for you to think of something that makes you glad. If so, take the time to consider it and feel the smile on your face return. If nothing else, hanging around, creative, silly kids will help. It will make a big difference to yourself and those around you.
Or today, you may be going through a tough time. Depending on your situation, it may be good to remind yourself that there are aspects of your life that make you glad. It could be your family, friends or work that brings you satisfaction.
But if your heart is broken today, I realize none of this will help. It takes time for a broken heart to heal. Give yourself grace and time to mourn. You will get through this eventually. When you hold on, you will find reasons to make your heart glad once again.
Vacations usually take some amount of planning. But this year has caused plans to be taken to a whole new level. Before this year, health considerations were not at the front of everyone’s checklist. Now, everyone must consider the following:
Is the destination in a hot spot?
Will it be in a crowded area?
What does the state government say about quarantining when you return?
What’s the local mask policy?
Should we just chuck it all and binge watch some more cat videos?
The Book of Job and Vacations
When I first posted this cartoon, the biggest problems with vacations centered around teen angst and whether there was enough wifi for everyone. Now we are more concerned about the supply of hand sanitizer and masks.
The Book of Job reminds me that things could always be worse. Yes, we are in the middle of a global pandemic. If it hasn’t directly affected you yet, give thanks for that. If your teens are merely annoying you and are healthy and sassy, give thanks for that.
Just this week, I received word that a friend was in an auto accident and his teen daughter was killed. I can’t comprehend the pain and loss that this dear man is feeling. Suddenly, the decision about whether to wear a mask in public or determine how much distance is enough social distancing feels trivial.
There are people suffering much worse. If all we have today are a few annoyances, give thanks for it.
Fifty-five years ago, it was a balmy Palm Sunday in Indiana. My mother was five months pregnant with me. It was evening and even though it was stormy, they were getting ready to go to church.
My grandparents lived about five miles southwest of my parents. My Uncle Preston was with them. As they were chatting, they suddenly felt things go deathly quiet. Uncle Preston rushed out to the mailbox. To the northwest, he saw the tornado. He ran back in and told everyone to get in the coal bin. He rushed to the phone to call my dad.
Double Tornado at Midway Trailer Park, between Elkhart and Goshen, Indiana-April 11, 1965: Paul Huffman for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration / Public domain
My parents had lived in their house for less than a year. My uncle says he had no idea what their phone number was and couldn’t recite it afterward. But by the grace of God, he remembered it and called Dad.
My parents were at the front door when the phone rang. Dad hesitated for a moment but decided to answer it anyway. After all, this was a time before voicemail and mobile phones. If you missed a call, you had no idea who was trying to reach you.
Dad answered the phone and Uncle Preston told them to take cover. Mom and Dad got into a closet. As they waited and prayed, they could hear the tornado approaching like a mighty freight train.
When it was over, they emerged from the house. There was devastation all around them. A neighboring house was gone.
Today, the tornado they were spared from would be considered an EF-4. That one tornado killed twenty-eight people and injured over 100. It was one of the forty-seven tornadoes that killed 267 people in six states on that Palm Sunday.
Death out of Darkness: 1965 Palm Sunday Tornadoes-Video from the Indiana State Police
My parents lived to see another day. And four months later, I was born. I am thankful for the quick reaction of my uncle, for my parents’ wise choices and their faith as well as the grace God gave that day to my family. Three generations of the Spear family could have been snuffed out that day. I am grateful to be alive today.
This day reminds me it was less than a year ago when the community I now live experienced the Memorial Day Tornadoes. It was a series of tornadoes that affected Indiana as well as Ohio. This time, it was my wife and taking cover when an EF-4 tornado passed south of us. It was a miracle no one was killed in this series of tornadoes. Once again, it is another reason I am grateful to be alive today.
As we remain hunkered down in our houses during a stay-at-home order, I am reminded how precious and fragile life can be. It may get aggravating being in our homes. But we have faced crises before. We can expect COVID-19 to not be our last crisis. I am just thankful for the life I have gotten to live and for one more day to live.
I didn’t expect to be in Ohio/Indiana until Christmas day. But life throws you a few curveballs throughout the innings we call decades. There’s a few too many metaphors in that last sentence, isn’t there? I’m not even a rabid baseball fan (However, I did love the way this year’s World Series ended. Good job, Royals!).
Last Friday, we thought we were going to lose a loved one. Today, things have improved greatly for him. It has made this Thanksgiving so much more meaningful. However, we have also been reminded that time is finite and we can’t take every day for granted.
Through the last several months, I’ve learned there are a few ways to cope when life throws you a curveball.
Be flexible: we are far less in control than any of us would like to admit. Changes will happen that you can’t predict or plan for. When unexpected blessings or trials come, be flexible enough to move with the situation.
Count your blessings: No matter how dire things may seem, there is always something to be thankful for. Whether it’s family, the ability to move, or even another day to experience life, there is some reason to have gratitude.
Plan for what you CAN do: It is good to talk with loved ones about what to do in an emergency or a challenge. Have insurance. Think about what to do in a scanario. It is also good to have a winter coat waiting for you when you fly from Arziona to Ohio. Is that too specific? Choose your own scenario.
We will all face some unexpected challenges. Through those situations, be an overcomer. Don’t let those curveballs strike you out! I’m rooting for you!
Cartoon of of two children staring at a snowman. One says, “One month, you’re king of the mountain. The next month, you’re a puddle.”
Winter is quickly fading away around here. All the snow people have met a disastrous end thanks to some warm temps and little reinforcing snow. Seasons remind us that change is around the corner no matter how young or old you are.
It also reminds us there are cycles in life. If you don’t like the way things are going, wait and they’ll change. On the other hand, if you’re king of the mountain, don’t get too comfortable up there. Things are bound to change sooner or later!
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