June 03, 2020Father Knows Best

So how are you holding up in this new way of life? Did cabin fever get the best of you? Did you come flying out when the quarantine was lifted? Or are you still holding back, first waiting to see how it goes?

I'll bet you have lots of story material after living through this ... things can get interesting when you're shut-in for weeks with those other folks that share your living quarters!

Our house stayed pretty dull – just my husband and me – and life really didn't change too much. With no kids and no pets, the only real excitement is maybe my never-ending battle with english ivy and weeds. I'm winning the battle with the ivy, but the weeds unfortunately have about gotten the best of me ... I surrender!!

But there was that one glorious afternoon at the grocery store when I actually purchased packages of napkins, paper towels AND TOILET PAPER!! And all three on the same trip! Hooray! The first time in two and a half months! God is still in the miracle business! We'll have to mark that day in red on the calendar and celebrate every year!

As we begin to come out of lock-down and life slowly comes back, it's interesting to hear everyone's stories of how they and their families were affected. Some of those stories are hard and sad. Some are hopeful. Still others are unexpected and surprising.

One really very surprising and good thing that's come out of all this for me is that I am actually starting to enjoy Zoom meetings! Yes, you read that right ... Zoom meetings. Me. On the computer. With other people. I've even ordered myself a webcam, of all things! Will wonders never cease?!

It began with church leader meetings when it became obvious that we weren't going to be able to meet in person for who knows how long. Then I joined in some publishing workshops. One weekend I got to watch a live magic show! It's hard to interact, because I watch on my desktop and use my phone for audio, but it'll be much easier when the webcam arrives. The recluse has joined the virtual world!

And I call myself a recluse, but that's not totally true ... I just need and savor more alone time than most. But as the years go by, it gets easier and easier to stay hidden away for longer and longer. Got lots of thinking and drawing to do! And the more I stay in, the louder, busier, and more overwhelming the world seems when I finally do venture out. It's kind of a vicious circle.

I knew some of what God was up to when this whole business of getting a website came up. The corona virus hasn't sidetracked His plan one bit. Of course, I'm not foolish enough to say I've got Him figured out, but I can certainly see when He has His Hands all over something ... that's when it's time to hang on! We're going on a ride!

And it's been a fun ride ... much more than I expected. When you look forward, it's hard to predict where that road is going to take you. When you look back, you're amazed at where you've been. He's stretching me and helping me to modify my thinking in ways I never would've imagined. And it's not over yet.

So this month's blogs will be reflections on this ride I'm on. I'd invite you to reflect on the ride you're on, too. And if you're a creative like me who's considering venturing out into the wild world with your art, perhaps my experiences will be informative and helpful.

And one last word on these Zoom meetings ... something I noticed in a writing workshop last weekend ... something you may not even think about in these virtual meetings ... until you've had to watch it ... don't eat on camera!!!! Please!

It wasn't even sloppy, ill-mannered eating. It was just some young guy quietly munching on nachos and salsa. Even good mannered eating is gross with a camera inches from your face! So don't do it! I had to minimize my screen and move it over so he was out of sight!

I was actually grateful for the lesson. I won't be doing that to others!

But hubby has the perfect solution ... strategically placed post-it notes on the computer screen to cover the offender! So I hope post-it notes aren't as hard to come by as toilet paper. Next meeting I will be armed and ready!

You just never know what the next important life lesson will be or where it will come from!