Re-Calibrate
"...lean in. Embrace the incredibly unique season of life this is. One we hopefully won’t experience again but if we do it well, we may remember with the somberness of those lost, by mostly with gratitude for all that was gained. “
Hey friends, I wanted to reach out and share something I was dwelling on today and summarize some of the thoughts and insight you have shared with me in recent conversations over the past few weeks.
I believe that this is a time God intends for us to grow and mature in, rather than just make it through by the skin of our teeth. As we’ve all heard a million times in recent days, “to thrive instead of just survive”. When Adam was in the garden, communing directly with the Lord of Creation, there was unspeakable peace, joy, love, gratitude and contentment in the abiding. No striving, tireless scheduling, earning, seeking validation....just being.
There is no doubt that this is a challenging time and in no way do I intend to minimize any of our struggles or fears. The health concerns for ourselves or loved ones. The fear and insecurity that comes with a loss of a job, reduced hours, or a furlough. The new job opportunity or investment in a new business that now looks riskier. School closures and vacation cancelations. Isolation from community, friends, family and hobbies. The feeling of vulnerability, increased exposure, insecurity, fear and anxiety. These feelings are very real, scary, discouraging and felt collectively by nearly all persons worldwide like no time in the last century.
But what if we could ask the Lord to see the current time and experiences through the His lens? What if, instead of the red ticker that scrolls across every screen, every day, announcing the death rate or some other fear-inducing statistic, we could ask Him what he desires to show us during this time? We could turn off those screens and just be, abide, love, serve, create.
We don’t need to be naïve but five minutes on your favorite (hopefully factual) news site should be enough to know everything you need to know for the day. After that, turn it off. Focus on more present time with your family. If you are single and live alone, see it as a once in a life time gift to spend time in prayer, The Word, reading, meditation, worship. An opportunity that likely will never come again, to grow immensely both spiritually and personally.
When else in life will you be given the grace by others and yourself to not work 10 hours a day, rush to get the kids to school, or whatever activity or sport they may have. When else do you let yourself off the hook for not putting in your hour at the gym. You can mow the lawn without feeling like you are just trying to fit it in around your crazy schedule. Walk the mower a little slower. Smell the fresh-cut grass. Learn to bake or be a grill master. Learn to fly fish or how to play bridge.
Soon enough we will all be back to the reality and rhythms of life that existed until 3 weeks ago. Back to the job, the relentless schedules, mandates and demands. Don’t find yourself a week into the return to normalcy wishing you had taken advantage of the 8-week semi-sabbatical.
It’s an incredibly unique time to be a very present father, husband, friend, brother, son. A GIFT, if you can choose to view it that way. Not without its challenges to be sure, but a break from the Matrix for enough time to reflect and recalibrate.
What’s God want to show you during this time? What does he want you to emerge from this with? A closer relationship with Him and others? Likely. A more peaceful spirit and the ability to find rest. An opportunity to grow massively in faith and trust, the primary currencies of Kingdom living.
With the lack of outside responsibilities, appointments, and packed schedules you could reallocate some of that time to talking with family and friends more. Learning to play that dusty guitar in your attic, or practice a few extra words of Spanish other than cerveza and bano for next year’s trip. Read that classic piece of literature you’ve always wanted to but never found the time (Walden by Thoreau is on my list, seem apropos for the isolation we are experiencing and the extra time to commune and appreciate nature.) Walk more. Sleep more. Read more. Sing more.
For myself, I have 3-year old and 5-year old sons. My wife is a school teacher doing her best to serve and teach her student and parent community from the confines of her laptop while trying to help balance the schedules of our sons. I am a small business owner with 10 employees that serves fresh produce to restaurants, schools, cafeterias, cruise ships, stadiums...I could go on but I’m sure you get the point. Not exactly the busiest and thriving customers currently.
We are dealing with the change, the insecurity, the concerns for each other’s wellbeing like everyone. We fail miserably most days to do any of our responsibilities well, so we learn to be okay with so-so.
A natural tendency when we are experiencing the collective and communal challenges is to allow for greater tolerance for many of our vices. We justify it more for ourselves and others. I know grace, love, lack of judgment, patience for one another are needed in times like this more than any other, but I encourage you to try and maintain the level of self-control you have so purposefully cultivated in your life and with your loved ones and brothers a gentle, understanding and loving encouragement to stay the course.
Remember, this is a pandemic, not exactly life or business as usual. Just surviving a pandemic is usually considered a win.
As such, lean in. Embrace the incredibly unique season of life this is. One we hopefully won’t experience again but if we do it well, we may remember with the somberness of those lost, by mostly with gratitude for all that was gained.
- Written by Randy Hartmann
