Positive Plan

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” Mike Tyson said that. He probably knew a little about getting punched.  The entire world has felt like it has been punched in the face. Some are feeling it quite a bit harder than others. But amid this reeling and reaching for the ropes, there have been some bright spots. Let’s look at some replays.
 

Have you driven by the hospital and seen the big HEROES sign?  Did you hear about the pizza being delivered to the police department? Gift cards to the fire fighters from Rotary? Small gestures can mean big things, and kindness is big.

When the call came out for the need for homemade face masks, we could hear the whirl of sewing machines around the county as fabric was donated, cut, crafted and put into use because our community asked for help.

Folks have taken to social media and instead of using it as a battering ram to beat up those with different political views, we are seeing more reports from the home fronts. Pictures of pets, and flowers and clever sayings are getting “liked” and “shared”.  I’ve watched enough cat videos to last the rest of my life, or at least this quarantine.

I love the creativity that people have embraced.  TV hosts, broadcasting from their living rooms, are using their raw talents without the aid of special effects and camera tricks. We soon discover who is entertaining to watch. Singers, coming together from a distance to perform. That’s tough. You can either do that... or not. Plus it’s a risk. There’s probably a reason we enjoy  some and don’t hear a note from others.

Even the NBA players got into the game, of H.O.R.S.E., that is. Maybe not as exciting as the Final Four, but pretty down to earth and humbling. For anyone that has shot some hoops in the driveway, it was a great idea and kinda fun to think these guys were being creative to entertain sports fans.

For all those parents with students at home that have suddenly added teacher, cafeteria worker, and principal to their duties, we know there is new found appreciation for those professions. One mom joked that she was “trying to figure out how to get a kid transferred to another class”.  Another parent posted that their son called from the bedroom to say he’d “missed the bus, and won’t be at school today”. I hope these parents are keeping a journal of this experience! Taking on the responsibility of making sure your child is learning at home is a punch in the face.

Churches! Let’s give an AMEN! to all the churches, large and small, that have stepped up their outreach to use different forms of media to make contact. I can only imagine that it is very difficult to shepherd a flock when you can’t even see or hear the herd. This may change assembling in a great way, now that we have learned we can do it in our PJs. 

We aren’t sure how long this bout with our quarantine will last, but we’ve got to keeping fighting. But let’s keep our eyes open for positive stuff until there’s a better plan.