We are Stronger than We Were
I miss my friends. I miss community. I miss the obligations that I used to have, that I took for granted. Date nights. Random family outings. Game nights. There are so many things missing in our lives right now, and I’m ready to start getting some of those things back. As we place another tally mark on each day, counting down until we return to “normal,” things continue to be uncertain. Even once this is over, I don’t think things will completely return to normal for a while.
These last few weeks have been difficult at times, but I’m also realizing that it was a good time of incubation. There are things the Lord has dealt with during this time that wouldn’t have gotten the attention it has when life “slowed down.” I don’t know about you, but I feel stronger than I was before this started.
What time at home has shown me:
my faith is stronger.
Before all this started, I was dealing with a lot of fear and anxiety. There were so many uncertainties and unknowns. When everyone was panicking and everything began to close, I really had to turn to God in my fear and the unknowns. I had to come face to face with my faith in God and ask myself if he’s really enough. I made conscious decisions to live out my faith in a more intentional way than I did in my ordinary hustle and bustle routine. My quiet time routine had to change and adapt, and it did for the better. My relationship with God is less organized and more authentic. My relationship with God before all this was kind of like opening and closing a book - in the mornings I did my routine, and then closed the book shut and moved about my busy day. Now, I find myself having more conversations with God throughout the day. A walk to the kitchen to grab some coffee can be a time for the Lord to remind me of something I need to hear.
My marriage is stronger.
Unless you are still in the “honeymoon” phase of marriage, nearing six weeks of uninterrupted time with your spouse can be… challenging, at times. I won’t even talk about the added pressure of a busy toddler while both of us are trying to work our jobs from home - anyone figure this out? We’ve had some arguments, but each and every one of them have been great opportunities to understand how we communicate with one another. I feel like I’ve learned more about how to have conflict with each other in these last few weeks than the entirety of our relationship because: 1) this is the longest stretch of time together that we’ve had at home and 2) we have more time to talk than ever before. This time at home has been great for tending to our relationship and it’s had great benefits for us.
One other aspect of our marriage that has grown a lot is our unity in our relationship with God. We have been intentional about praying for and with each other every day. I love these new routines that have been established between us and I’m excited to see how these impact our every day life once we get back to normal.
my passions are important to me & worth the investment.
When life gets busy, trying to spend time on your passions is like trying to run through an obstacle course blindfolded. It’s like every force on this earth rises up to postpone, distract, or drain you from the energy needed get to it. This time has been great to revisit and reflect on what I’m all about, and what my priorities need to be moving forward. Passions give life and bring energy, so not setting aside time to do it will leave you feeling empty and tired. Now that I’ve had time to understand what I need to feel like I’m thriving, I am going to be more mindful about what I spend my time on.
If you are intentional, every challenge you face can build your strength & mold your character.
What the enemy wanted to use to place fear in my life, cause division in my marriage, and bring despair, God used to do beautiful things. I cherish these last few weeks because I feel like they have been a time where the Lord has built and strengthened aspects of my life that were easily ignored when I was busy. I am stronger than I was, and I thank the Lord for that.
How has God used this season of being at home to challenge and grow you?