What Would You Do With A "Time Out?"

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With all the reading that I’ve been doing this past few weeks, I have been tempted to revert back to ‘the way things were’ before the global endemic has tried to stop us in our tracks. There was always some place that I wanted to go, someone to visit, do some travelling, go shopping, etc.  The media tells us to ‘carry on’ and follow the rules, don’t worry, we’ll get through this, or they tell us that it’s going to get worse, no matter what we do. I don’t want to hear the news these days; who are we supposed to believe.

One posting that sticks in my mind is this question… ‘Do you consider the present global situation to be a ‘Time Out’, intended to give us time to re-assess our life’s journey? I haven’t thought much about ‘time- outs’ since our family are all adults. In my generation, I don’t remember any time-outs, but I do remember the occasional trip to the shed, to receive a dose of corporal punishment. It was never a nice experience, but it left an indelible impression on my memory. I remember hearing that a swift strapping on the bottom created enough heat to travel up my spine to my head, and melt the wax in my ears so that I would be able to hear and understand the rules for my behavior. In short, it would give an “attitude adjustment”! It certainly wasn’t like a ‘time-out’, especially if I would be sent to my room.  There were lots of fun things that I could do to pass the time until the ‘time-out’ came to an end.

I’m wondering if our current experiences are a ‘time-out’ from the God Who created us. Is there a purpose to the experiences that we all have encountered? Am I personally learning anything that is helpful, and am I being reminded of something that I should have remembered? I’ve certainly had the time to do some serious thinking. Here are a few things on my list… it doesn’t mean that I’m successful in everything, but it brings them to mind.

·       Be positive; complaining doesn’t help!

·       Be thankful for everything; a written list makes a great reminder!

·       Be cautious; don’t believe everything that you hear. Find out for yourself!

·       Be useful; there is always something to do. Clean a closet, bake a cake, cut the grass and pull some weeds.

·       Be content; life … ‘it is, what it is!’ Stop looking over the fence!

·       Be kind and thoughtful; smile at those you meet, phone a friend, write a letter, send an e-mail or a text.

·       Be helpful; even when you haven’t been asked to help.

·       Be creative; don’t be afraid to try something you haven’t done before.

·       Be calm; it’s easier said than done… but keep trying!

·       Be prayerful; sincere prayer can be very strong and helpful, personally and for others. I don’t have to go to church to worship and pray.

Remember…”God IS Love!” It doesn’t say “God HAS Love!” There is a big difference in those two statements!

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