Missions and Corona
Huge stretch to practice being grateful. HUGE! And yet....I am.....so.....grateful. This corona virus pandemic is crazy. We have joked that we feel like its a dream we will wake up from....but every morning when I wake up it persists....and gets a bit more surreal. So I guess I own it.
The boys and I had planned to go to LA for a long weekend missions trip the end of March. It was to be their first mission experience. That's been postponed of course. I was reflecting lately on the effect of a missions trip for me. Often, it is an exercise in being uncomfortable and out of my routine. Often it is a challenge to seek the Lord and His will and His plan and purpose and set aside my thoughts and plans and goals. The few missions trips I have taken all required me to find Jesus in hard things and work hard in His name.
So here we are....on a mission field in our own homes, at our places of work and worship and play. Here we are. What are we to do here?
Yesterday I was paralyzed by it all. A metaphor could be that I was on the flight to the mission field. I didn't know what to expect. I was nervous and afraid but willing and that's about it. I was also angry. I was angry that corona had invaded my life and my plans and my family and my hopes and dreams for the near future. I was annoyed by the influence it presented in my daily schedule and I was more annoyed because I had no control. Day one of a missions trip. Day one of social isolation here at my home. We had some things planned......we went wedding dress shopping. Precious went to the eye doctor. We watched The Voice.
Today I landed on the missions field. Feet on the ground. Oriented. Aware. Scared. I did what I do.....I worshiped. I played worship music. I sang and I raised my hands in praise......and we started to make sense of that awful phrase....."the new normal". I attempted to limit screen time. I started making a loose plan. I tried to work a bit. Day two of social isolation and our stay-at-home missions trip. I am acutely and viscerally aware that my children are paying attention to how I deal with this experience. Their memories of Covid 19 will be exactly what they see reflected in our home. I am praying for peace and faith and the assurance of the provision of God......Lord let this be what they remember.
We have some structure to our missions experience moving forward. We are talking about work time and homework time and fresh air time. We have some big goals....like learning to play piano....and some cooking lessons....but we shall see. For now we are just going to pray and plan....for day three.
The boys and I had planned to go to LA for a long weekend missions trip the end of March. It was to be their first mission experience. That's been postponed of course. I was reflecting lately on the effect of a missions trip for me. Often, it is an exercise in being uncomfortable and out of my routine. Often it is a challenge to seek the Lord and His will and His plan and purpose and set aside my thoughts and plans and goals. The few missions trips I have taken all required me to find Jesus in hard things and work hard in His name.
So here we are....on a mission field in our own homes, at our places of work and worship and play. Here we are. What are we to do here?
Yesterday I was paralyzed by it all. A metaphor could be that I was on the flight to the mission field. I didn't know what to expect. I was nervous and afraid but willing and that's about it. I was also angry. I was angry that corona had invaded my life and my plans and my family and my hopes and dreams for the near future. I was annoyed by the influence it presented in my daily schedule and I was more annoyed because I had no control. Day one of a missions trip. Day one of social isolation here at my home. We had some things planned......we went wedding dress shopping. Precious went to the eye doctor. We watched The Voice.
Today I landed on the missions field. Feet on the ground. Oriented. Aware. Scared. I did what I do.....I worshiped. I played worship music. I sang and I raised my hands in praise......and we started to make sense of that awful phrase....."the new normal". I attempted to limit screen time. I started making a loose plan. I tried to work a bit. Day two of social isolation and our stay-at-home missions trip. I am acutely and viscerally aware that my children are paying attention to how I deal with this experience. Their memories of Covid 19 will be exactly what they see reflected in our home. I am praying for peace and faith and the assurance of the provision of God......Lord let this be what they remember.
We have some structure to our missions experience moving forward. We are talking about work time and homework time and fresh air time. We have some big goals....like learning to play piano....and some cooking lessons....but we shall see. For now we are just going to pray and plan....for day three.
Comments
Post a Comment