The strange times we live in...

I have been avoiding discussing sensitive subjects but during my last few walks I have come face to face with some ugly truths that cannot be ignored. They weigh heavily on my heart and I want to address them. It may be over the next couple of posts. Let's have an open discussion! Feel free to share your own thoughts as well! Before I get started, let me share a story about this tree below that I made up!

Once upon a time there was a small tree. This tree couldn’t figure out which way it needed to grow. The surrounding trees laughed at him and mocked him because wasn’t it obvious? He should grow up towards the sky and sun!

The tree found this difficult for many reasons, mostly because some days the sun shone only in sprinkles between the leaves of other trees, and other times the sun shone but moved from one side of the forest to another! There were days in fact, that seemed to have no sun at all—and then where was this little tree supposed to go?

He tried to be a dutiful tree and follow the right path, like his fellow trees—but he felt clumsy and awkward and without true direction. By this time, all the trees around him were straight and tall—but he was twisted and crooked and his trunk zigzagged rather unattractively all over the place.

The tree felt ashamed, lost, and ugly. He didn’t feel or look like any of his fellow trees.

However, unbeknownst to him, he was gathering attention from everywhere. Animals found this tree easier to climb and stayed and slept in his branches frequently. People stopped in surprise to catch a glimpse of this tree and wonder at its strange beauty.

The tree became a celebrity of sorts, and found truth and value and worth in the appreciation of those that saw in him what he could not see—the gentle magnificence and workmanship of an unseen God.

I preface this post with the story because I feel strongly that we are created with purpose and our experiences shape us into who we become. Being open to change and growth are of the utmost importance to me, and I seek truth in what my friend calls "the wilderness."

I believe that our struggles produce strength of character and can sometimes reveal faults in our own behaviors and beliefs! Yesterday I was feeling rather low, so I took an impromptu walk (I was beckoned by the wilderness I suppose) and immediately once I entered the trail everything in my body relaxed. It was like a weight was lifted off of me and I could think clearly. It is my sanctuary and a place full of insights and truths like no other!

The first thing I want to speak on is this "life pause" as my friend calls it--the teacher in me prefers to think of it more as a "time out." I have been home since Mid-March, and it truly has been a "life pause." I tend to use work to distract me, and being unable to work I have had a lot of time to think, reflect, and face the things from my past that have haunted me. I am in a place of healing, have been able to explore writing for the first time in ages, and also been able to reconnect with my faith and be inspired by nature. None of these things would have happened had this virus not existed.

I have heard this time referred to as "a political conspiracy," "a big waste of time," and "over-hyped paranoia," among other things. But my friend's term for it is the most accurate. It is only a waste of time if you do not use it to your advantage. It is only a conspiracy if you buy into it, and as for the paranoia, well...the numbers keep rising and it concerns me. "Life pause," well, that rings true for most of us. It has created a space to think and reflect and opened avenues for voices to cry out and be heard through protests. It has brought awareness to others regarding racism, appreciation for teachers and medical workers and other essential employees, and healing and friendships in unlikely places.

This has been a life changing time! The "new normal" is unknown and a little scary for some (a LOT scary for others) and a time to embrace our faith, let go of old stereotypes and bad habits, and to move forward carefully and thoughtfully.

What has changed in your life since this all started? How have YOU changed? Reflect on these things and see if the positive outweighs the negative. It is quite possibly the most positive things that sneak through the darkness of our situation.