How do you even begin to write a blog post with that title?
Feels like walking through a minefield of potentially explosive offensiveness and miscommunication while word-twisting snipers lurk in the trees all around.
“Did you see that blog post? Some idiot said COVID is good!”
Nope. Didn’t.
COVID is stupid. Painful. Disruptive and destructive. It has produced anxiety, fear, uncertainty, loss and grief on a more globally comprehensive scale than anything in history.
“Ohhh. This is one of those silver lining guys stuck in his own denial. Can’t handle the hard stuff so he pretends like everything is awesome.”
Nope. It’s not awesome.
COVID is uprooting me. Stole my source of income. It’s pushing me and my family out of everything familiar into a new country, new culture, new school system, new people, new chapter, new life — and I don’t even register on the “most impacted” end of the spectrum.
“Ok. this guy’s just a jerk. He’s gonna’ do a happy dance while the whole world is down.”
Nope. Terrible dancer, and even worse at gloating.
But.
Some undeniably good things are happening and now more than ever, I DO NOT want to miss them.
They don’t cancel out anything. They don’t recover a bit of the loss. They don’t change the hard realities. They don’t set everything straight.
And yet — I would be a fool not to notice them.
I’m not just talking about the good things that are still intact — family, friends, health and all of the other beautiful, stable pieces of my life that haven’t been swept away in the chaos. I’d be a fool to not notice those too.
My life is FILLED with good things that have NOT been shaken by a global pandemic.
I’m taking that in.
It’s amazing. And humbling. And unfair.
But it goes deeper than that.
There are actually GREAT THINGS that have happened resulting directly from COVID19 — richness and goodness that is growing out of this mess — and the fact that it doesn’t make the hard parts go away shouldn’t, for a moment, block my gratitude.
Or yours.
Before you squeeze the trigger, look around. I would bet good money that you can find your own.
What hidden gift have you received that never would have or could have happened apart from this?
It’s my blog. I’ll go first
- This is the first spring in over a decade that I haven’t traveled extensively. It has been good to be home.
- My 10 year old son (who has grown up in China) has made more Chinese friends in the past two months than he has in his entire life. His language skills are skyrocketing.
- I’ve gotten a glimpse into my kid’s education that I never would have seen otherwise.
- My respect and appreciation for the hard work and diligence of their teachers is higher than ever.
- The dreams, plans and good intentions that I have had sitting on the shelf for months, waiting for the perfect moment, have been shaken to the floor. It’s go time. Do or die. Sink or swim.
- There is a new NEXT, right up ahead, which is every bit as exciting as it is terrifying.
I have zero desire to walk through life with rose-colored glasses. I don’t want to live in a sicky sweet wonderland of make-believe, pretending that all is well when it is obviously not. More importantly, I don’t want to be so blinded by my own fortune and privilege that I cannot see the loss and brokenness in the people all around me.
I’d prefer to live with my eyes wide open — and when I open my eyes wide I can’t help but see the ugly — AND the beauty is crystal clear.
Don’t miss the good stuff.
Being reminded of the sheer fragility of the world as we know it, my life, my work and my future really sucks. But it is also deeply moving to see the beauty of each sunrise, and notice that there are lots more birds and other critters in my backyard than I imagined.
Thanks for writing and posting and making me think.
I’m enjoying time with my sons, teaching them cooking and woodworking skills. Having time to bake bread, do organizational projects around the house, write more, talk deeper with my kids, shooting hoops with them. Thankful for the slower pace of life, similar to what we’d experienced living in the Philippines. Thanks for your blog!!
My garden will be bigger and better than usual because I’ve had time to do seedlings. I’ve started selling some of my teaching resources that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. More time for sleeping, Bible reading, and thinking, and following through on things I’m passionate about. Thanks for the positive reminder.
Unexpected extended time with my parents who I often only see a few weeks a year, am now spending 24/7 for months. I am savoring that time. Also my family as a whole is at a lot slower pace and we have more time to do things together. Teaching my kids to cook, fish, and enjoy the simple things around us. Enjoyed a winter/spring in the USA which we haven’t done in years. Yes, our life was completely disruptive but we are thankful for this time to experience it in a whole new way.
I completely agree with your post! For me its given us a chance to Bond more as a family and to have Bible studies almost everyday-we’re studying Jesús, my 17yr old has read almost the entire new testament as well as fixed our tables, ref., Cabinets, and water. Soo Nice having him home more! My 2 oldest will be 18 and 19 next month So this may well be the last year we are all living together under one roof, So i am cherishing this time. Thank you for your always encouraging words!
We are spending quality time with our grandchildren, who we rarely see, and helping their parents keep working by homeschooling them. This is a HUGE privilege. Also, the levels of pollution have gone way down, and the skies are clean.
I’ve gotten to know my boda drivers (motorcycle taxi drivers), my neighbors, and the people on my walk to town a lot better. I’ve had time to rest and renew instead of keeping the usual frenetic pace of my life. I’ve planted flowers that will transform my compound and give me years of pleasure. I’ve fixed up my veranda and I now have my own little retreat where I love to spend time. I’ve seen my own grandkids choose to do good in their neighborhood so they will have something good to remember about this time. I have seen the incredible generosity of friends and family in America who are giving to help feed hungry people in the country where I serve. I’ve seen people come to faith in Jesus through the circumstances caused by this crisis.
Yes, there are many blessings amidst all the hard, hard things. I don’t want to miss them, either!