Thoughts on CV: all of my thoughts on hope in a time of crisis

Rutledge Falls, Manchester, TN

Finding Peace and Hope

This weekend, Stephen and I took a hike to Rutledge Falls. With the torrential downpour we had the days and nights leading up to it, it was in peak form. In a hectic time, I felt the whispers of peace and the rush of sanity while out in nature. Here are some thoughts which began to form in my mind over the quietness of the weekend.

During this time of trial and pandemonium, are you keeping your children safe?

Are you keeping loved ones and the elderly safe in the wake of the pandemic?

Are you doing your part, by not being too dismissive about the current Coronavirus scare and lockdown?

On a spiritual level, do you have peace?

Do you feel paralyzed by fear and anxiety during this time because of what you are hearing on the news or from those close to you? Is God truly with you and with us during this time?

Remember that not only is God with you, but he has many promises for you.  “The least of these will be the greatest.” “I have come that you may have life and have it to the full.”

If you are struggling to find peace and instead, put your sanity in being over-prepared, remember the rules of sanity.

Are you helping or hindering the flow of supplies to those in need?

Are you choosing to be a hero or a hoarder?  

A hero- for example- a woman in Minnesota who is sewing face masks and giving them to hospitals for free.  A ministry to the sick.

A hero- a doctor who goes on the mission field where doctors are a scarce necessity. 

A hero- someone who oozes creativity and gratefulness in the face of chores, lack of rest, or the discombobulation of plans and instead chooses the way of life (love, joy, peace) when the way of death (fear, rage, jealousy)  seems optimal.

A hero- someone who chooses to pray the rosary, observe the daily mass online, or enter into the liturgy of the hours on a daily basis, for the intention of the health of the world.

A hero- someone who fasts from the news media cycle, prays for the mental peace of every human living on planet earth, and avoids discussing worry, fear, or anxiety in front of their children.

Greed will never be excusable, it will always be sinful. 

If it makes you feel better to hoard supplies, consider that 

-many stores, like Dollar General, are limiting units of certain materials (lysol, wipes, toilet paper, paper towels, and baby wipes) to 4 per person.

-some stores, like aldi, will not restock supplies if they run out, until a certain amount of time has passed

-people who will suffer if greedy people hoard supplies are those already in poverty- either here in the states, or in third-world countries

-if you have to make your own disinfectant wipes, or create a disinfectant using the vinegar, bleach, or other materials you already have on hand in your home, you are being the hero.

-if you let go of your own selfishness and lack of self-control and leave the supplies for those truly in need, you are a hero.

Consider that greed and sloth are never the answer. Doing some sort of ministry to help those in need puts into perspective the fact that we are one human race, and we will always be one in Christ.  

Sanity, rest, and the peace which is one of the many fruits of the spirit come from putting your trust in God, and reconciling yourself to the fact that he will be with you, no matter the trials you bear.

Living in Quarantine

There is a lot of noise about the trial of being quarantined. Mostly I have heard positive thoughts.  This is a time to laugh about the little things, a time to put on a brave face, a time to help your neighbor, a time to cling more closely to your loved ones, a time to soldier on with the tools given to us in a modern era.

Homeschool moms know that if you aren’t already finding time to be by yourself, you will begin to value the time you have to find solitude, rest, and the peace of being able to hear your own thoughts.  You can go into your room and spend some time alone, journaling, praying, and hearing the still, small voice of God.

The grace of God is a part of many of the promises of Scripture, namely “you reap what you sow” and “if you lose your life, you will find it” and “I will give you more, above and beyond, tenfold what you sacrifice for me.”  Give him the small part, and he will return that sacrifice with the whole part- the grand, expansive peace that passes understanding. This is what it means to find the life you have lost. Christians truly do believe that God rewards those who suffer with eternal life, pleasures at his right hand, and peace in his presence- here and in the kingdom to come.

This has always been the mindset of the faithful Christian, Catholic, homeschooling mom.  We have always known that God gives us the gift of the better part, if we give him one thing- our hearts.  If we give up our own will, the will of God will be the gift that replaces it. The kindness that we hope to see in our children is the fruit of our daily labor to pray the Our Father and mean every word of it. We enter into a global prayer when we pray this prayer for peace.

Worry is something that is chastised in scripture, because it goes against the fruit of the holy spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  We set an example for our children by focusing on the good in life, thine is the Kingdom. In these strange times, the good that can come out of quarantine is an abundance of life, if we let go of our “strange certainties” that we will get sick, we will run out of supplies, we will end up hospitalized, we cannot control our time, whereabouts, children, or sanity.  It is true that only God can control these things. As a society, we need to open our hands to the gifts God longs to give us. These are the spiritual gifts which replace fights over money, the highs and lows of self-soothing retail therapy, and the endless pursuit of wealth as a means of well-being, sanity, and mental health. Let us throw off the chains of sin, anything that entangles us, and run the race set forth before us.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the [a]author and [b]finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:1-2

Cross-posting at the ACWB

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