FULL of life! (Sonya Seng - March 20, 2020)

Observation, Perspiration or Inspiration:

Hey, Sonya here. It's been a doozy of a week. Can I get an "amen"? Immersed in a global health drama, we're each experiencing it one unfamiliar step at a time.

• My eyes smart from squinting at the news reports on my phone screen.
• My son's hands are probably cleaner than they've ever been.
• I yell at Grandma Norma each day, conversing only from the doorway while she shakes her head mumbling "I'm not afraid of getting sick".
• This afternoon, Jordan and the kids went to do their running workout only to find that the Central Oahu Regional Park was closed today by the city. So they ran up and down along the outside of it, over and over.

On the other hand,

• I'm "talking" to more people than usual - connecting with strangers on Facebook as we all try to solve the toilet paper issue.
• I'm pleasantly surprised that my kids' have skipped nary a beat as they can connect with friends on the digital platforms I previously frowned on.
• And my sisters and I are proving our family strength and humor as we collectively, yet distantly, take care of our mom's healthy gourmand preferences. Today, that involved one sister stealthily dropping vegetables and Maui potato chips outside her door in exchange for a bag of 3 slices of St. Patrick's Day corned beef.

Strange life. But LOTS of it. For this we are grateful.

Prayer:
Father God, thank you. Thank you for this potent thing, life. You fashioned us from dust, activated us with Breath and made us the wonder, and even envy, of heavenly beings.

Thank you for hands that can carry both good and ill. For yelling at grandmothers. For all kinds of places to run. For ingenuity in the bathroom. For changing opinions about technology. For strength in old relationships. For sparking of new ones. For corned beef.

Lord, we give you permission to wake us up in this time. To things we missed. To one another. To You yourself. Bless this beautiful world and all the people in it to wake up as well. To hear their eternal hearts' desire now that so many distractions have been stilled. When this crisis is spent, may we find ourselves more alive, more compassionate, more focused, more free. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.

An Idea:
Find a small, local business you like and buy a gift card from them. Give/mail that gift card to someone you know whose employment has been disrupted.