Stain Glass Lens of the 21st Century

Tag: Pandemic

  • In A Word

    In A Word

    Photo by Pixaby/Pexels

    While at a meeting recently all those present were asked, “If you could describe your experience of the pandemic in one word, what would that word be?”

    I fumbled badly and it took me several words to finally conclude that the one word would be “faith”.  It was by faith that I journeyed the pandemic.

    This faith wasn’t a store bought faith with easy answers and platitudes printed on pretty cards. It wasn’t a faith that made the journey clear; there were twists, turns, and times of deep uncertainty.  As Martin Luther King, Jr wrote, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” It certainly was a faith of unseen steps.  

    As I reflect on the past two years I clearly see times when I riled against God questioning God’s wisdom and presence and also times when I sat in silence refusing to meet God even in prayer. It takes a deep faith to turn to God and admit disappointment and discouragement in God’s seemingly lack of interest or care.  That was the kind of faith that held me during this difficult time, an honest faith that dared to turn toward God demanding answers and when receiving none; returning again to what seemed like a one- sided conversation.

    Ironically, my faith deepened in those silent moments and now, as I look back it is with gratitude that despite the profound difficulties I experienced God’s presence in more subtle and unseen ways.  I suspect this dark time steeped me in God’s ways of steadfastness and endurance.

    It was with this faith that I firmly put my feet on the floor every morning and stepped into each day.  I deliberately chose faith over fear even when choosing faith seemed ridiculous.  “Every tomorrow has two handles.  We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.”  (Henry Ward Beecher) I chose the handle of faith and it has made all the difference.

    What one word would you use to describe your experience of the pandemic?

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

  • The Sum of Our Days

    The Sum of Our Days

    I had a friend die of COVID-19.  It was an awful shock; I didn’t even know she had been sick.  It all happened so quickly. 

    Death can be cruel; interrupting a busy and full life.  It is as though she was taken from us mid-sentence. 

    Her absence has caused me to ponder some difficult questions, “How much of my life have I lived?  Is it over 50% ?  Or, maybe the meter is up to 80% already?  Who can know for sure? What is the sum of my days?”  And, “Have I lived a life that reflects what I value most? Or, have I allowed worldly worries to consume me?”

    These are tough questions to sit with all alone so I shared them with a few friends and family members.

    One friend responded that he valued honesty but then quickly amended his answer with a slight grin admitting, “Well, I value others being honest with me but I know I am not always honest with others.  So, I guess my life does not reflect my values.”

     Now, to be fair this friend, who is in his mid-40s, 2 years ago did something pretty remarkable.  He left a high paying position of prestige and power and took a de-promotion because he was tired of being under so much stress. He noticed he hardly ever laughed and decided that was much too high a price to pay.  He shared that he actually doesn’t miss the extra income as much as he imagined and no one could pay him to go back to all that stress.  “In fact,” he said, “I feel bad for those left behind in the rat race; they have no idea what price they are paying.”

    Another friend answered that she values her family above all else but upon reflection confessed, “I value family but most of the time I spend with my kids my head is still at work.  I am thinking about the next project or I am upset about whoever angered me at work that day.  Rarely am I actually 100 % present with my family.” This realization hit her hard and she too made some changes.

    What about you?  What do you value?  Are these values reflected in your life? What is the sum of your days?

    As we slowly return to a post pandemic life it is time to evaluate what we want to pick up again and what can be left behind.  This moment, right now, is ripe with the opportunity to decide the sum of our days.  We should choose well, because who knows how much time is left?

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    Photo by Sunbeam Photography used with permission/Unsplash

  • When Less Is More

    When Less Is More

    Here we are again, another month-long lockdown in Ontario.  This time the lockdown looks different than the first two.  This time we have the vaccine rolling out across the province and even as the daily case count climbs, so does the daily count of vaccinations.

    So, even amidst the fears of the variants we can start to imagine a day when the new normal will arrive.  In the meantime, we must find ways to cope.

    One way to cope is by reminding ourselves not to fuss over things of which we have no control.  We cannot control when a lockdown is determined or for how long.  We can control our own response to this shut-down and the ever-present risk of contracting COVID-19 or one of it’s variants.

    It seems like a long journey in having to live with less.  We have less opportunities to go out and enjoy an evening on the town, less dining in restaurants, less movies in the theaters and less time with our loved ones. 

    However, there is also a lot more happening now as well. We have gained more appreciation for other things in life such as more dinners at home, more down time to watch the sunset and to listen to birdsong, and more awareness of the beauty and peace that can be found in our own backyards.  We have a lot more time to garden, clean out the closets and arrange our homes as we may have always wanted. More opportunity to bake, paint, sew or build that bookshelf.

    As the Daily Stoic Ryan Holiday writes, “When we do less, we get a double benefit. We cut out what is inessential, and we do what is essential much, much better. There are not a lot of redeeming qualities to a pandemic, but we should at least take this lesson from it. We are being taught what less looks like. We are being taught that less can actually be more.”

    May we all enjoy the more that has been brought into our lives during these “safe at home” days.

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo with this Blog was taken by Etienne Girardet used with permission/Unsplash