[Seek] Peace With Being New At This

[Lent 26] 

We're all new at this. 

None of us have ever experienced a global pandemic. None of us know how to properly respond. None of us really know for certain everything that is best to do and not to do. We do our best with the information we have. 

It's ok not to know. 
It's ok to be new at this. 

When we're new at something, we learn a lot. We learn about ourselves, our neighbors, our leaders, the world we live in. We learn about the thing, but also about people's reactions, responses, and capacities for both bad and good. We learn how good we had things and how to appreciate the little things. We come to realize what is essential and what isn't, and to relish freedoms big and small.

We have choices. We can choose to focus on facts and figures; on death tolls and disasters; on lack and loss; or on all the amazing acts of love, generosity, and hope. We can ground yourself in doom, looking ahead in fear or ground ourselves in hope and look forward to a reawakened world once this crisis abates. We can fear death or look forward to resurrection. 

I will do what I can to protect myself and my family against this disease. I will keep myself informed. But I will not let fear and anxiety overshadow the joy, hope, and love that surround me. I will seek peace in knowing that although we're all new at this, we're all in this together.