... Needs an Escape

I'm sure I can speak for a lot of Ontarians when I saw this latest "Stay-At-Home" order has really hit hard. Being at home is amazing and I believe that God is still on the move and working through this all, but it does not make me immune to discouragement.

I remember about this time last year when the rumours were hanging in the air about closures and shut downs. At that time, we had family visiting, and being told there was a possibility of a forced extended stay was almost exciting: in the way being snowed in at school for a night is to a 4th grader. But like any adult knows, the novelty begins to wear thin when the romantic notions of extended breaks become desperate cries for normalcy,.

At the time when I first began writing these posts the thought of being in this same situation a year later was completely off the table. The thought was so far from my mind it wasn't even in the dining room, the house, or back yard. Perhaps it was in outer space; in a completely different galaxy. I had even taken comfort when I heard we were dealing with a coronavirus like SARS. Growing up in a small rural town meant SARS had very little effect on our lives, and didn't seem to change our daily life in any way. In hindsight, I can see my own naivety and foolishness.

Clearly I am not the only one shut-in with a toddler. I am not the only one mourning the loss of missed opportunities, families and loved ones. No matter where you take your stand (conspiracy vs legitimate pandemic; pro-vaccination vs anti-vaccination; pro-lockdowns vs anti-lockdowns) I think we can all agree on this: we're ready. We are all ready to be with our loved ones. We are all ready to not have COVID-19 smothering the newsfeeds and headlines. We are all ready to escape.

So when I'm down and feeling uninspired, I will try and picture in my mind the day that we can gather again. The joy and celebration that will fill every house will be quite the sight to see. Grandbabies will be snuggled, aunties will be hugged, friends will be united and laughs will be had. God is not sleeping. He is working on something big.

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Galatians 6:9

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."