Find the good

Now that we're approaching 4 weeks of quarantine, the "new norm" has set in. Traffic is still suspiciously non-existent, most people stay inside all day and those who do go out in public are wearing face masks, the newscast is still dominated by coronavirus coverage and businesses everywhere are shut.

It's easy for me to downward spiral in a time like this. Limited human interaction, lots of (& frankly, too much) alone time, not a whole lot to get excited for, plans/events/activities cancelled... most days it's a struggle for me to find even that natural happiness. Like I've said before, I'm the type of person who thrives on routine.. and coronavirus has thrown every aspect of my life (& many others) out of whack.

Despite all of this, I've done my best to "find the good". Reason being -- even on my bad days, the Good Lord knows I am blessed with far more than I deserve (and Heaven forbid I ever lose sight of that).

​Whether it's in my own life, or reading and sharing stories about the helpers & heroes in the lives of others, I've made a conscious effort to seek, highlight and focus on the little bit of good that has come of this crisis.

Personally, one of the positives I've recently realized is how much more I've been able to talk to family. Pre-pandemic, I typically FaceTimed my parents and sister about once a week. Over the past 2-3 weeks, that's been upped to every other day. Even if it's just to find out what they had for dinner or what they bought at Costco the day before, I'm calling. I usually spend Monday morning (my "Saturday") out on my balcony FaceTiming as many friends and family I can before my phone runs out of battery. It's honestly what has kept me sane this past month.

A Monday morning phone log ... (ignore the emojis, it's a sister thing)

I'm also "finding the good" in spending more time outside. One of the things I struggled with when working the morning shift for +5 years was that the early bedtime really limited my time out in the sunshine, which in turn, hurt my mood. (Never underestimate the power of Vitamin D.) Now that I'm working 50% of my shift from home... I'm finding more time to be out on the balcony and walking the trail. (I've also tried to remind myself that the days of blistering heat & constant sweating are not too far off - all the more reason to enjoy the more "friendly" weather we have now.)

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I've found more time to read my Bible, watch online sermons & download praise music - more now than ever before. Despite not being able to go to church on Sunday mornings, I feel stronger in my faith and relationship with God. I've really leaned into Him over the past few weeks... praying for just about anyone and everything. (And as Grandma said to me a couple weeks back, "You don't need a church to pray. Gidget [dog] & I got a hotline to heaven, praying for everyone to stay healthy.") AMEN, Grandma. AMEN.

Sagebrush Community Church's Easter worship & sermon

Yes, there are people who are sick, dying, losing loved ones, working +15 hour days, unemployed & hungry -- and for all those people, we pray. We pray for every single one of them.

​But I firmly believe that there is a lesson to be learned in every hardship... and I feel God is showing me that His good work is everywhere, even in tragedies.

​Find His work... 'find the good.' And let that serve as a reminder to be grateful for all of life's blessings.

​-- KC