If you are a human on Planet Earth, then you are in some way, shape or form being impacted by a dangerous enemy called Covid-19 or the Coronavirus. Not one of us could have dared to imagine how this microscopic being would completely interrupt, disrupt, alter, and halt the daily existence of each of our lives. It’s heart-wrenching to think of all the valuable lives that have been lost so far! Thanks to this pandemic, household items like hand sanitizer, toilet paper and paper towels have become well sought-after commodities. Overnight, we’ve all become acquainted on how to practice social distancing, sheltering in place, and self-quarantining if we’re exposed to the virus. And as I sit here typing this, we are all in the middle of fighting what seems like a never-ending barrage of washing our hands incessantly in order to stay healthy and save lives, not touching our faces, staying home, wiping down & sanitizing everything, and only getting out in public for short bursts of time when it is deemed “essential and necessary”. We are all becoming more familiar and comfortable with socializing through platforms such as Zoom, FaceTime and Skype. We are immensely grateful for all those on the frontlines fighting this battle, starting with the leadership of our country and moving through scientists, doctors, nurses, first responders, fire fighters, police, paramedics, EMT, truck drivers making deliveries, and even grocery store clerks, all of which have quickly become our unsung heroes in this epidemic.
But here’s the thing, if you are not one of those on the front lines, then you have been granted the gift of T-I-M-E! Who among us (myself included) is not guilty of complaining about the fact that we wish we had more time to do the things we aspire to do? “If only I had the time, I’d………” you fill in the blank. You see, here’s what I’ve carefully observed during this unprecedented and unforeseen time: While people are restricted from the daily freedoms they are accustomed to and are now being forced to stay home on a daily basis, they are discovering many creative, constructive, and productive ways to utilize their time and to redeem it by doing some pretty remarkable things that they may never have “made” the time to do! Here are just a few of the many endeavors I’ve witnessed people accomplish recently: People are reaching out and are eager to love on and help their family, friends, neighbors & even complete strangers with whatever their needs are in the moment.
They are spending very focused quality time together as a family, including cooking & eating together, planting gardens, family game & movie nights, praying together, doing drive-by visits to the elderly with written signs expressing their love and even dropping off care packages to them.
Many are off their couches, away from their TVs, and outside getting fresh air staying active by walking, running, bike riding, fishing, working out, mowing their lawns and visiting with neighbors for the first time ever (albeit 6 feet apart).
People are utilizing technology in many creative ways to meet together, to visit with loved ones, to share their church services with a desperate world, to encourage others, and to promote and keep their businesses going. Entrepreneurs are rethinking, repurposing, and restructuring their businesses for the future.
They are also using technology to learn new languages, how to knit, crochet, play bridge & other card games, photography, musical instruments and to tutor students, just to name a few.
Others are knocking out long overdue home repairs, cleaning out and organizing closets, drawers & cabinets, and making stock piles of unused items to share with those in need.
Many are being very intentional about supporting local businesses in their communities as well as adopting pets from shelters. They are also educating themselves online through schools, podcasts and by actually sitting down and reading books!
I think by now you get the point! We’ve quickly moved from “If only I had the time, I would”…….. to “Now that I have the time, I will”………. Nobody would ever wish this awful pandemic or the loss of lives, time, and revenue it has stolen from us on their worst enemy! We are all hoping, praying and trying to play our own small part in shutting it down and eradicating it from our lives completely so we can go back to our normal way of living. However, once we are on the other side of this, I hope we never go back completely to the way our lives were before this horrible disease hit home. What I mean by that is this: What if we took our newly acquired skills, education, and goodwill towards humanity and moved forward utilizing our daily time in a whole new way? What if we chose to no longer waste away our time? I hope by now, we all recognize the GIFT our time truly is and that we will forever use that gift to better ourselves, our families, our communities, our relationship with God and with others, and just to be intentional about making this world a much better place just because we took the time to. And now it’s TIME for me to go do the same!