This is by far the toughest time for the world that I have been a witness of. Though, when you look closer you can see the beauty in the madness. People are going out of their way to support others in this time of need.
This past week my church had the privilege to give out lunches at the elementary school to any family who came. It was different than I expected. I just expected people to be a little guarded and stand offish. Instead, everyone who drove up, had a smile on their face and were willing to talk to us. Almost as if they were craving that outside interaction. We gave them a reason to take the kids out of the house even though it was just for a minute, it was worth it. The kids would want to roll down their windows and wave like they were princesses and princes in a parade. It didn’t stop there, even just our short conversations of small talk seemed to light up the eyes of the parents as well.
In this time, introvert or not, we all crave human interaction. We miss having the choice to go out or stay in. We miss being able to have a night out on the town without being worried about the person next to us being contaminated per say. All the things we miss are the same things bringing us together. Our shared experience is giving us understanding of others. We are all feeling pain and are overwhelmed with not being able to clearly see the end. We are coming together as one because we can see/feel the pain of others.
I have made this observation in the hopes that it only gets better. Now that we see how this is not just a disaster, but it is awakening us to the hearts of our fellow man/woman. This is what we need to focus on, not all the bad. Though it is necessary to be aware, we no longer need to allow it to consume us. “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but the Lord has given us power and love and self-control”(2 Timothy 1:7 ESV). So continue to love your neighbour as yourself. This is uncharted territory, but it looks to me that we as a nation are rising to the occasion.
-Elizabeth
You are very observant. I see you as an introverted extrovert. I am glad you are seeing the good in people and noticing that we are all in need of something. Continue to let your light shine everyday.
Isn’t it amazing to see that there is beauty, even in the hard?! I think those moments stand out even more, when things are hard. I think of light vs. darkness. The light wouldn’t be as bright if there wasn’t darkness.