Proverbs 3:21-24
My child, use common sense
and sound judgment!
Always keep them in mind.
They will help you to live
a long and beautiful life.
You will walk safely
and never stumble;
you will rest without a worry
and sleep soundly.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
The last verse of this passage speaks to me so much that I had it made into a decal and placed on the wall above our bed. The joy and peace of resting without a worry and sleeping soundly is an incredible blessing – and a gift from God for those of us who trust Him. The trouble is…on any given day or in many circumstances, we drop that trust and let worry creep into our hearts and minds. We let selfish interests and desires overtake common sense and sound judgment. There has been a lot of this in the last 10+ months, as people have struggled to “live their lives” in a pandemic.
This morning, I read a post from a dear young woman who reflected on how post-COVID life will be for her family. She and her husband work from home and have two beautiful, brilliant, creative daughters. They were always “going and doing” – and as educators themselves, these parents never missed an opportunity to involve their girls in church, civic and cultural activities. In her post, my friend lamented how they had to shift gears and figure out new ways to do things…and she expressed a desire to return to their old life.
I told her that as I reflected on 2020, and the coming year, my prayer this morning was that we will NOT return completely to our “pre-COVID lives”. Let’s sift and sort through what was insignificant and immaterial – and focus on what truly matters. Let’s stop trying to make everything entertaining – especially church activities – and focus more on Jesus. Let’s use common sense and good judgment – and maybe take a long hard look at some of the “group activities” in which we used to participate.
Frequent handwashing and other safety measures might need to be part of our daily routine for the rest of our lives. Perhaps paying closer attention to what we touch, where and how our food is prepared, and where we go – or allow our kids to go unattended – should become personal habits that we keep! And reducing our “footprint” has already proven to restore cleaner air and waters – and bring back plant growth and wildlife…so let’s see if we cannot keep that going, as well!
In my own family, we have found ways to stay connected while keeping safe. We utilize technology like phone calls, texts, e-mails and FaceTime. We go “old school” and use mail and delivery services! We have all but elevated social-distanced porch and driveway visits to an art form. Our kids took up camping and hiking last summer and look forward to more outdoor adventures when the weather warms again. Greg and his friend are working on ways to make their hiking adventures work while distancing…and I pivoted from swimming several days a week to walking in our neighborhood until it is safe to return to the community pool.
We’ve rediscovered reading and old movies…and home delivery of everything from personal and household items to farm fresh eggs and meat. We are eating better – and we are healthier for it. We are still participating in corporate worship each week – but now this is done mostly online. Masks are so much a part of our life outside of our home (and sometimes inside) that we don’t even think about them that much anymore…to the point that I sometimes forget to remove mine when I am driving alone in the car!
In short, while so much has changed in our daily living, a lot of what really matters has not. Jesus is still on the throne as our Savior. He still cares about every breath we take and is giving us clear and concise directives for how to live and love – and stay safe. I would LOVE to hug our kiddos and family members, but I will settle for knowing that God is protecting them and keeping them healthy and well – and giving us many opportunities to express our love and care for one another. I have hope for the coming year that it will be filled with blessings, health and abundance. I will rest well and sleep soundly, knowing that when I exercise common sense and good judgment, God will bless and protect me. This is my prayer for you, as well.
©2020 Debbie Robus
Daily Devo Time 