OK, it finally happened. I have been put in quarantine
No, I do not have any symptoms, yet. I just happened to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time and now need to play it safe.
This quarantine, while very inconvenient, is meant to keep me and others around me safe.
If I do flare up with symptoms, then it’s off to the doctor. If after the time period I am clear, then business as usual. Meanwhile, no visitors, no contact and no leaving the house.
So, what does a reasonable active over-the-hill adult do at times like this?
I do what God tells me to do in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”
I am called to be still for the time being.
I must confess, when I was told about the quarantine, I was a bit miffed. I had so many things to do; I had to be in so many places, and people depended on me.
I thought I was important, and I could not stop everything just for a little germ. But, I found out different.
Nothing is more important than loving God and loving your neighbor.
This time of quarantine is becoming a time of setting apart. It is becoming a time of being still. A time of getting back to God.
When I was little, my mother made it a practice that after lunch we had to have our feet off of the floor.
This gave her a break, since she was raising four kids. It also gave us kids an opportunity to be quiet and still.
On our beds, we could read or play or whatever as long as we stayed in our bed for the 30-45 minute break.
This quarantine is becoming my feet off of the floor, my be still time. This time is giving me opportunities to explore a new hobby, to get deeper into God’s word and to read new books. I am able to still do my walking, and I am able to visit via phone and internet.
I am blessed with folks who check up on me and make sure there is enough food and such in the house, and hey, the Cardinals are still playing. So, I really have nothing to complain about.
The only problem is it took a quarantine for me to “be still.” That should not be.
I should have made a regular practice of “being still.” Maybe these 14 days will make up for all the 30-45 minutes of feet-off-the-floor time I have missed over the years.
Regardless, I am making a commitment to make the most of this time to “be still.”
What about you? Are you taking regular time to “be still?” Are you making the most of your down time to know God and explore the possibilities he has in mind for you? Are you resting and just enjoying a respite from the hustle and bustle?
If not, I highly recommend it.
Do not wait to be forced into down time. Open yourself up by shutting down for a bit.
See you in church.
Rev. Kent Wilfong is the pastor at the United Methodist Church, Doniphan/Neelyville.