In Honor of Corona: I'm Home, Now What. 3 Questions Every Woman Should Be Asking Herself Right Now.
Corona hit, disrupting pretty much everything in its path. a real life F9 tornado touching down uprooting our little comfortable ways. While we’ve all been influenced by a natural disaster in one way or another in the past. In the words of Fred Sanford, “Lamont, This is the big one.” Schools closed. Restaurants shut down. Rush hours non existent. Homes once emptied by the hustle and bustle of over-scheduled lives, now bursting with pent-up energy created by forced quarantine.
Pretty much We've Been Summoned Home, So Now What?
Many experts are suggesting ways to re-engage our kids and entertain our cabin fever, but I’m not sure they're getting to the heart of matter.
How do you handle life after a major disruption?
I believe in order to respond healthily to any disruption, we first need to ask ourselves some key questions.
Here are three questions I'm asking myself, and I believe every woman should be asking ourselves in the wake of Corona:
What Has Really Changed. While I’m sure much of it seems obvious, some of it not so much. What do you find your heart missing the most? The laughter? The water cooler conversations? the structure? Identify it. Truth is, as busy as our lives were and as much as we complained, some it was actually feeding our soul. Real talk. Some of us really miss our commutes. We often used that time to catch up on quiet time, reach out to friends or jam out to our favorite artists. So be honest, what do you miss (even the stuff you're not "supposed" to? Put it down on paper. Then integrate the worthy aspects back into this "new" normal. While some of our routines were unhealthy, some of it was working.
Is it time to Add or Delete? Lissen! Some of these forced temporary changes need to become permanent. The slow down is real... and welcomed. The extended family time...welcomed. The boss not breathing down your back at every turn... welcomed. The increased anxiety that the busy of life once silenced...not so much. The pockets of clutter that now stare you down daily...unwelcomed. Some of these changes are fantastic and others have just blown the roof off life as we become accustomed. I believe this is an ideal time to ask what is God desiring us to keep and what must go post-Corona. Some of this stuff you needed to get rid of long ago. Friends past their due season. Jobs with pending expiration dates. Commitments you long mentally uncommitted to. It's time to ctrl + alt + del and restart. What can you permanently delete to make space for the areas of purpose you desire to add to your life?
Are you ready to deal? A lot of new decisions are now staring you in the face, like “whatchu-gonna-do?” The cracks in marriages and relationships are now being tested by the forced time together you could have done without. Reminding you that Cohabitation is not communion. The job you hated has now invaded the sacred place you to used to run to find solace. The commitments you dreaded are steadily knocking at your door reminding you they’re ready to have you back A-S-A-P. Your deepest fears, emotional baggage, unhealthy coping mechanisms and lackluster survival have all been revealed. The question is are you ready to deal. You now realize the busy granted you permission to opt out of attending this field trip. Your issues that once sat on a shelf are now tumbling down at the most intense time to remind you they’re still there...unresolved. Listen, many of us have some messes we need to clean up, and situations we need to clear up. But the question is, Are we going back...to the way things used to be? What are you committing to deal with in this season that you've been ignoring?
Truthfully, I believe we’ve been given an opportunity to be honest...with ourselves..to stop fake enjoying aspects of our lives that we’ve always dreamed of abandoning. Stop being the fake friend to yourself...that keeps telling you what you're doing isn't that bad, when you know it is.
It’s ok to say it’s not ok. That you got a lot stuff you're thinking about. It’s ok to take a time out to say You're not ok...knowing that you never were, but acknowledging now that it’s a real thing (and that's a Really Really Good thing). It’s ok to get the help you were too busy to get before. To call a therapist. To call a marriage counselor. To make the pivot...or not.
Things just got real. The realest they've ever been. The rubble is before us...waiting for us to pick up the pieces.
But here is the good news! Actually, it is GREAT news!
Jesus, is a master piece maker. He makes the most beautiful masterpieces out of the ugliest of circumstances, if we choose to participate
No more spectating. Letting the chips fall as they may.
It's a new day. He's waiting on you.
To answer the questions, with Him as your teacher.
Truth is, Corona brought us a lot of answers, and now we just need to ask right questions. When we answer these questions, I believe we will gain greater clarity about what was working and what wasn't. What changes need to be temporary and what needs to be permanent. We get a chance to reset and take the time we never had and/or made to revisit and re-evaluate, "What is we really doing?" And does it make sense.
2 comments
I am reminded that my internal uproar that existed before the COVID-19 uproar is still valid, still worthy of attention, and still before the face of my Father in heaven.🙂
This is very insightful and helpful. I love the idea of making a list of things I miss. I plan to do that tomorrow morning during my quite time.