What’s wrong?” DJ asked with a concerned look on his face. “You haven’t been yourself lately.” “I know,” I responded. “I’ve been thinking about a lot.” Apparently, I have a telltale “thinking face,” that only my husband has a way of picking up on.
Between the pandemic, the highly divided and political nature of society, and the state of the world at large, my heart was heavy. At the moment DJ had asked that question, I was thinking about what the world would look like for our children moving forward.
Of course, there’s no way to know what the future holds, but even presently, in our day-to-day, the thought of keeping our kids indoors and teaching them to fear people whenever they walk by saddened me. We had always hoped to teach our kids to love God, love people, and live life to the fullest. But at that moment, in my mind, it seemed like that would be difficult to do.
Determined to encourage me, DJ stayed up until 2 AM that night, combing data from the CDC’s website. He ran analyses on those numbers, and the next day, shared with me what he had found. Him taking the time to do that really helped put things in perspective (I guess that’s what happens when you marry a mathematician 😂). What he shared gave me the confidence to continue living, and to do so in a balanced and responsible way. I began to see that we didn’t have to cower inside in fear.
More than even my loving husband however, Someone else encouraged me. One night, while sitting on the floor of our closet, with Ella sleeping next to our bed, DJ and I read the following:
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Psalm 91
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty . . .
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark . . .
No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent. For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways . . .
“Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
“With a long life I will satisfy him
And let him see My salvation.”
I was overjoyed. I was reminded that our family’s protection and best interest rested squarely within God’s heart. Instead of focusing on the constant fear fed by the news cycle, I found peace in this.
So, how do we navigate the day-to-day during this pandemic? We try to live with balance. We spend as much time outdoors as possible. We’ve done everything from hiking, biking, fruit picking, camping, picnicking, walking, to taking drives on scenic roads.
When we enter enclosed spaces, we wear a mask, but make a conscious effort to speak pleasantly and be friendly with those we encounter. Masks tend to strip people of their humanity, so we try to actively combat that. When we encounter situations where we may have accidentally interacted with someone in a non-socially distanced manner (e.g. bumping into someone in the store), or if someone approaches us without a mask, we simply extend grace, and leave the rest in God’s hands.
I suppose that pretty much sums up what our approach has been—living with trust and doing what we can.
How have you been handling things since the pandemic started? I’d love to hear about it!
