When This is Over

When this is over,

May we never again take for granted

A handshake with a stranger

Conversations with neighbors

A crowded theater

Friday night out

A taste of Communion

A routine checkup

The school rush eachmorning

Coffee with a friend

The stadium roaring

Each deep breath

A boring Tuesday

Life itself.

When this ends, 

May we find that we have become

More like the people we wanted to be,

We are called to be

We hoped to be

And may we stay that way – better for each other because of the worst.

– Laura Kelly Fanucci

We heard this prayer during CommUnity Yoga online this past Saturday evening.  It really touched my heart and I wanted to share it with you.  While we are beginning to see some hope of getting out in public more, close contact with other people is still a ways off.  Life will not be the same as it was before, for good and for bad.  During this time of forced isolation, we have had time to reflect on what we miss in our lives and what we don’t miss.  What are the activities that we want to get back to and the ones we feel we can drop?  Who are the people we want to see and be with and those that we are okay with being distant with?  We have had time to look at our lives, prioritize and sort out. My hope is that after this is over we remember how blessed we are.  We have missed much because we have much to miss.  My hope is that we realize this and are able to share are blessings.  Hopefully, we can live a more balanced and centered life, a life centered on God and on others.  We can start living that life now, we don’t have to wait to go out in public to love and serve God. What spiritual practices have you been doing to grow in your faith? What changes in your schedule are you thinking of making when we can “get back to normal”?  Are there changes that you want to make? 

I am not sure that we will use the term hindsight is 2020 much anymore, however we have been given this chance to reflect and look back at our schedules and lives and to see if they reflect what we feel is important.  I for one will not take being able to go to worship for granted again and will probably be crying when we first get to come back together again, even in small numbers.  I will also probably cry when I can get back to seeing baseball at Angel Stadium or go out with friends.  I have much to be thankful for and when this is over, I want to remember what it was like when I couldn’t do those things.

Remember that God is with us during all of this, we are not alone. That this isn’t the last word, that God gets the last word.

Connect with God in ways that work for you and connect and care for others.  How will you do that this day?

Take care and be safe.

Grace & Peace, Suzanne