Covid Part 5: My children have no idea.

They are 4, 2 and 1. We tried to explain to the 4 year old what the Coronavirus is, and she just looks at us confused. We say it’s like the flu, and we’re staying safe so no one else gets sick. And she usually responds by asking a question about the food she’s eating or she makes a silly face.

They are oblivious, and I am honestly real thankful. I’m thankful I can provide them a home that is safe and free of worry. That right now her biggest concern is whether or not she’ll have ice cream after dinner.

And then I think about our good God, who cares so deeply for us. We are his precious kids. We don’t have to worry like we do. He’s our Dad. He’s taking care of us, looking out for us, providing for us. Just as I’ve stocked our freezer with as much as I could grab at the grocery store and they never question whether or not they are going to eat, God has storehouses of provision for us - in our work, our relationships, in our literal pantries. We can lay down and sleep hard at night just like my kids do without worry. He’s got it all covered.

Lord give me the faith like my kiddos, their care free love and trust in a world that has everything taken care of, because we are your kiddos, and you are the best Dad we could imagine.

Covid Part 4: Economic books will, from now on, have an entire section on the Covid 19 crisis.

That’s insane. We are living in this thing. Right now. The effect this mandatory cancellation of events and closing of schools is having isn’t something we’ve ever seen before. And it’s not just the US : this is a global economic crisis. It’s everywhere. The same thing is happening all over the place. It’s bananas.

Will and I keep processing things in our discussions before the kids go to bed. The stock market is has plummeted, dear friends are being forced to shut their businesses and fire people (which is the absolute worst thing as a business owner), mamas I know who depend on school and are working from home are now full time care givers and trying to run their businesses. It is affecting everyones money in one way or another.  It’s wild. 

And who is to say that all of this isn’t worth doing? The value of human life far surpasses the health of global economics, and I think civil society is doing a pretty great job so far tolerating all these changes. But there will be other consequences of all this down the road as the story continues to be told. And we just have to wait and see. No one really knows what will unfold.

I don’t have any smart financial things to say about this other than, I hope we take the time to learn lessons from it. This will be extremely costly and damaging to our economy, and the rampant fear is going to keep people from going out and spending their normal dollars once the shelter in place mandates pass. We have a long road ahead of us, I think.

BUT. We will continue to wait, continue to trust our God who is still in control, and continue to look to Him as our Provider.

And PS, this is a really, really great time to invest your money! The stock market is on sale, and it will come back up again one day. Just sayin’. If you’re not the investing-type, now is your time.

Covid Part 3: It’s propelling us forward and holding us back. 

Unprecedented is the word I keep hearing, and it’s true. We’re not going to know the impact of all of this until many years later. At this point in our journey, we are still within the 2 weeks of social distancing, not meeting with one another in groups of more than 10. 

It’s propelling us forward in ways that many of us, especially old school workers and thinkers, have been opposed to. Technology, remote work, online education, even Bible studies and small groups happening online. It’s literally shooting us forward in the use of all of this bandwidth at a super duper fast rate. People will adapt new habits and will see things with new eyes : they’ll embrace things they’ve resisted, or they’ll be forced to embrace it.

This is going to be incredibly stressful for some people. This is going to be  a sigh of relief for others. Whatever it is to you, it’s happening fast, and I don't think we’re going to ever go back to the old way of doing things. 

What impact will this have on our education system? Our work? Our churches? 

Because while it’s propelling us forward in technology and new opportunities, it’s holding us back in our relationships. I heard my friend Katelyn say the other day, “I just miss being around people in Chipotle. I never knew how much I took that for granted.” My deepest hope is that this social distancing actually connects us and shows us the need we have for each other. I’ve seen more neighbors out on our streets and have had longer conversations with them this week than any other week since we’ve lived here the past almost-2 years. I think we’re feeling a little lonely. We need each other. And while this temporary set back has been lonely and challenging, I’m hoping that ultimately, it shows us how much we really need each other.