Control what you can…

I am writing this as I’m sitting in what I have deemed '“quarantine jail”. Landing in Japan, in the military, means abiding by the rules— so here we are. This past year of “2-Weeks-to-Flatten-the Curve” has sucked the life out of many of us. Many were in a good place before our dear friend Corona made her debut, some were already struggling with feeling out-of-control.

The remedy for our weird situation…

Control What You Can.

Let the other stuff go (just for a bit).

One of the huge consequences of this response to Covid that many in leadership have taken is to leave people feeling a lack of hope. The things we often used to get excited about— the next party, meeting friends at a restaurant, planning a trip (remember- getting on a plane for a quick weekend of fun)— all of that has been upended. And perhaps the most damaging thing about the Covid response is that there has been no end in sight.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick. (Proverbs 13:12)

The fact that many of us are a bit down right now is NORMAL. Let me be clear, this response to Corona is NOT NORMAL, but feeling down as a result of loss-of-control, isolation, and no-end-in-sight IS NORMAL.

So what do we do?

Focus on the little things that are in your control.

For me, here in quarantine, I CAN put structure into my day. I CAN stretch and take a “wellness” walk in the mornings— even if it’s 4:30 am, before anyone else is up (jetlag finally working for me). I CAN spend time in prayer and meditation. I CAN make healthy choices. I CAN be intentional about who I communicate with every day. I CAN choose to love my husband.

I CAN CHOOSE TO BE GRATEFUL AND JOYFUL.

Note: You cannot control others. Everyone must make their own choices. But you can ALWAYS CONTROL YOURSELF and YOUR RESPONSE TO OTHERS.

I CAN CHOOSE LOVE.

What can you choose to control today?

Love you all!!

Laura