Finding The Silver Lining

Good Morning Friends,

With uncertain times upon us a lot of people are living anxiously right now. For a moment I'd like for us to focus on how we can turn this fearful way of thinking around so that we can live in peace & contentment. I know some of you may be thinking I am ignoring the seriousness of it all. I can assure you I'm not, quite the opposite actually.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

We need to remember that we are roll models for our children, what are we teaching them in these anxious times? Are we showing them how to live in fear or are we showing them how to look for the silver lining in all of this and making the best of it.

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Because most of us are on lock down this is a great time for us to reconnect with our families. How many of us are running from place to place and no longer have conversations or meals with our families around the table anymore?

Ways to reconnect with our children:

1) Have your kids search Bible verses that encourage them when they're anxious & ask them to talk about how they feel about these uncertain times. It's a great way for us to provide direction & security for them.

2) Pull out the board games & decks of cards, make it a fun memorable experience.

3) This may be unorthodox, but if your family enjoys camping I'd encourage you to get your tents out, set them up in your garage, yard or your living room. Pull out the sleeping bags, cots & even your lanterns. If you have a camp stove cook your meals on it or if you have a fireplace I'd even encourage you to roast marshmallows! Take this time to create memorable experiences for our kids so when they're older they can say "remember when...."

Ways to make the most of our time at home:

1) If you don't have kids than I'd recommend creating a romantic dinner by candlelight for you & your spouse.

2) Use this time to do your spring cleaning. Go through closets, clean out the attic or your garage. Have kids go through their drawers & pull out clothes that are too small for them.

3) Do you have books you've been wanting to read or a craft you've been wanting to work on? It's a great time to start! I'm sure you can come up with lots of other great ideas as well!

Because most of us are feeling isolated I encourage you to Facetime or Skype with your family & friends, as these are great ways to stay connected! I would even recommend setting up a zoom meeting w/friends! I tried this with our friends last night, we had four of us & it was great!! There's something special about being able to see each other's faces & being able to laugh together.

God has given us a moment in time to reflect on our lives & verify what our priorities are. Let's take this opportunity to teach our children how to deal with uncertainties & to rely on God for our comfort & strength.

Dear Lord,

We ask you to be with all those who are affected by this virus, we ask you to place your healing hand on them & restore their health. We ask you to protect the medical staff on the front lines as they work tirelessly to help us. We ask you to be with all those families who have lost loved ones to this virus, wrap your comforting arms around them. These are serious times, we know this is a wakeup call for each of us. We need to be prudent & diligent in the way we respond to this virus. We ask you to watch over all of us globally, give our government officials the guidance they need to keep everyone safe. We thank you for calming our anxious hearts & showing us we can use this time wisely, and that good things can come from tragic times as we reconnect with our families and share your Words of wisdom with each other. Help us to walk closer with you Father and thank you for your grace & mercy you shower on us daily. In Jesus name, Amen!

Written by: Jill Theriault

Crossroads Coaching - @crossroadscoachingongodstime