Cast your burden on the Lord,
And He shall sustain you.
Psalm 55: 22
Wirf dein Anliegen auf den Herrn,
und er wird für dich sorgen.
Psalm 55, 22
As the Corona Pandemic continues to consume the news and our minds, it is a great time to get back to the basics and assess what is important in life. What is important to you in life? What makes life worth living? Who do you want to spend time with? What do you want to spend time on? Think about it!
And He shall sustain you.
Psalm 55: 22
Wirf dein Anliegen auf den Herrn,
und er wird für dich sorgen.
Psalm 55, 22
As the Corona Pandemic continues to consume the news and our minds, it is a great time to get back to the basics and assess what is important in life. What is important to you in life? What makes life worth living? Who do you want to spend time with? What do you want to spend time on? Think about it!
Even as this lockdown was a temporary measure, it showed us that life on earth is just a finite time. We need to use our life time well.
In thinking this through, I could make well-intented suggestions of what not to do, as in: Don't spend too much time on the news or on social media!, or: Don't just complain about things.
Instead let me put it positively and let me share my personal list of what is important in my life. As with all lists, it is incomplete, items overlap and they are not necessarily in order. :)
Family. Make the most of the time with whom you share life with. If you have kids, enjoy them! Hug them and spend time with them. Believe me, this unusual time can be stressful to them as well. Make the mundane memorable.
During this lockdown, we had lots of telephone and video conversations with people in our family that we couldn't see. The children started writing lots of letters to family and friends. The trip to the mailbox started to become interesting as replies arrived regularly.
Nana who has just moved into a retirement living can no longer come and go as she pleases. We have visited her several times at her place and talked with her standing on her balcony. We even brought the instruments out and the kids played for her across the parking lot!
Faith. It is pretty clear that we are not here on earth by accident. What is your purpose? Where are you going to go after this life ends? Our family believes in a Creator, in the Almighty God, in the life that Jesus gave for our sins. We know that life's sorrows and sufferings are temporal and very finite. That belief gives us immense hope. We share this hope with all Christians across the globe. During the lockdown, we continued to listen to the online sermons that our church provided. Our pastor called us several times to check on us. Sure, we miss our church service in person and we miss our church family. But we are connected in spirit and we can always find support in God's Word.
Stories. Aren't stories what life is made of? Our family loves stories! We love read alouds shared together, we love movies shared together. We love audiobooks shared together. Those stories give us something to talk about. They bind us together. They provide common knowledge and insider jokes. They are enjoyable and fun! Some of these audiobooks and movie series might take us weeks, sometimes months to get through but that is also the beauty of it! That way, we are in the story even longer and keep talking about what might happen, who our favorite character is, and how we liked certain parts.
Fitness and exercise. It is so important to get proper exercise! Make your heart pump and feel the sweat. Whatever your preferred exercise is that does these things for you, do it! During the recent weeks, we have used our trampoline well. My oldest daughter uses fitness equipment on a daily basis. Used to altitudes while hanging on aerial silks in the gym, she even installed a rope into the tree so she can continue her circus sport to some degree.
Outdoors. In our family, we need to see the sky above our head on a regular basis. It is crucial for our wellbeing. We need to go on walks or on bike rides, even on boat rides. Even during the lockdown, we continued to go out, take our dog for a walk, and explore the nearby parks. Since all of our afternoons were suddenly free, we were able to spend a lot of time out of doors and enjoy the beautiful spring we have had.
Hobbies. Engage in your hobbies. Make time for them. For me it is reading, scapbooking, puzzles, photography, writing. As a family, we have enjoyed puzzling together. It is good for all age groups and can be done over time. What grabs your attention and keeps it?
Finally, try something new. There should be always room for something new. In my case, it was the pogostick. Years ago, I found a used pogostick at a rummage sale and bought it for next to nothing. After years of hibernation in the garage, it finally had its shining moment! In the midst of the quarantine, I came across the pogostick and realized this is great exercise. After starting lightly, I added 10 jumps each day. By doing that, believe it or not, I reached 300 jumps! That, I felt, was a good number. So that is what I now do daily. This intense exercise takes all but 5 min. A great new habit, something new. What is your new hobby? New sport? New interest?
In the end, if you live one day at a time, it comes down to the question: How did I spend this day? Did I spend it on the things and with the people that are important to me?
Did I spend it in fear? Or did I spend it in hope?
I will finish with this beautiful quote.
Fear does not stop death. It stops life.
In thinking this through, I could make well-intented suggestions of what not to do, as in: Don't spend too much time on the news or on social media!, or: Don't just complain about things.
Instead let me put it positively and let me share my personal list of what is important in my life. As with all lists, it is incomplete, items overlap and they are not necessarily in order. :)
Family. Make the most of the time with whom you share life with. If you have kids, enjoy them! Hug them and spend time with them. Believe me, this unusual time can be stressful to them as well. Make the mundane memorable.
During this lockdown, we had lots of telephone and video conversations with people in our family that we couldn't see. The children started writing lots of letters to family and friends. The trip to the mailbox started to become interesting as replies arrived regularly.
Nana who has just moved into a retirement living can no longer come and go as she pleases. We have visited her several times at her place and talked with her standing on her balcony. We even brought the instruments out and the kids played for her across the parking lot!
Faith. It is pretty clear that we are not here on earth by accident. What is your purpose? Where are you going to go after this life ends? Our family believes in a Creator, in the Almighty God, in the life that Jesus gave for our sins. We know that life's sorrows and sufferings are temporal and very finite. That belief gives us immense hope. We share this hope with all Christians across the globe. During the lockdown, we continued to listen to the online sermons that our church provided. Our pastor called us several times to check on us. Sure, we miss our church service in person and we miss our church family. But we are connected in spirit and we can always find support in God's Word.
Fitness and exercise. It is so important to get proper exercise! Make your heart pump and feel the sweat. Whatever your preferred exercise is that does these things for you, do it! During the recent weeks, we have used our trampoline well. My oldest daughter uses fitness equipment on a daily basis. Used to altitudes while hanging on aerial silks in the gym, she even installed a rope into the tree so she can continue her circus sport to some degree.
Outdoors. In our family, we need to see the sky above our head on a regular basis. It is crucial for our wellbeing. We need to go on walks or on bike rides, even on boat rides. Even during the lockdown, we continued to go out, take our dog for a walk, and explore the nearby parks. Since all of our afternoons were suddenly free, we were able to spend a lot of time out of doors and enjoy the beautiful spring we have had.
Hobbies. Engage in your hobbies. Make time for them. For me it is reading, scapbooking, puzzles, photography, writing. As a family, we have enjoyed puzzling together. It is good for all age groups and can be done over time. What grabs your attention and keeps it?
Finally, try something new. There should be always room for something new. In my case, it was the pogostick. Years ago, I found a used pogostick at a rummage sale and bought it for next to nothing. After years of hibernation in the garage, it finally had its shining moment! In the midst of the quarantine, I came across the pogostick and realized this is great exercise. After starting lightly, I added 10 jumps each day. By doing that, believe it or not, I reached 300 jumps! That, I felt, was a good number. So that is what I now do daily. This intense exercise takes all but 5 min. A great new habit, something new. What is your new hobby? New sport? New interest?
In the end, if you live one day at a time, it comes down to the question: How did I spend this day? Did I spend it on the things and with the people that are important to me?
Did I spend it in fear? Or did I spend it in hope?
I will finish with this beautiful quote.
Fear does not stop death. It stops life.
And worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles,
