Image by Sarah Richter from Pixabay
A few weeks ago, the first two paragraphs below were part of my post…the one that got bumped aside by the tea flood.
I’ve added to it since, and removed parts that no longer apply. The message has shifted, too.
I’m pretty sure my grandson is done with school. He has little patience and gets easily distracted. I’ve had to create step-by-step checklists of his daily assignments to keep him from missing a step. Yes, everything was already provided by the school’s online information, but his brain doesn’t work that way.
His sister handles this a bit better. She’s accustomed to working on her Chromebook to turn in assignments. She manages to focus and get it done and turned in. Her middle school workload, though, is HUGE. She’s managing, but it’s tough. And she’s angry. I’m not sure who with, but she’s angry every morning. Yelling, snapping, creating general unrest in the family. Some days, she’s angry all day. Others, she’s calm once she gets started. I can’t find a pattern to it except for blaming teenage hormones and our unusual world circumstances.
Two weeks later, things have calmed down a good bit. Some mornings and evenings are rough because my grandson struggles with his OCD and anxiety. So far, it’s untreated because he is sensitive to medicines like me. Still, we’ve seen improvement. I don’t have to do the checklists anymore because the schools reduced the volume of work. We have two weeks of school left, and then I can relax the structure a little bit. Create a new structure for the summer.
My granddaughter has improved, too. I’m not sure whether an adjustment in her medical plan made the difference or the chart I created for the grands to EARN screen time did it. Could be both, and I’ll take the improvement. (She actually loses screen time if she yells at us, so she’s managed to curb that behavior.)
I have to wonder what we’ll call this school year in the years to come. How many kids will fall so far behind that they have to repeat a grade? How will the teachers cope with the different levels of knowledge next school year? Will the schools separate children based on their ability to do their work during these months or throw them all in together? Sink or swim?
Like many, I have experienced some positives from this break in the normal routine. We’re less harried. I’m still working, and working a lot, but I don’t feel the pressure of getting everything done in between all of the activities and school schedules. The kids are playing outside much more than they used to (they can earn screen time by doing this). The weather is pleasant. If a task doesn’t get finished today, there’s time tomorrow because we’ll still be here. So no big deal.
Still, I feel a deep loss of communion with my brothers and sisters. We do virtual church and interact as best as we can. I feel we still follow the Bible’s directives on gathering together.
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. I Thess 5:11
What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.
I Cor 14:26
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. Matt 18:20
I would love to see someone in the flesh, though. God understood the power of having the physical person present.
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. Phil 2: 6-7
We need Jesus in the flesh because we are social beings. The church is the extension of that through the Holy Spirit. Yes, Jesus lowered himself to human likeness to provide a perfect sacrifice for us, but God, also, knew we needed physical contact. As one frightened little girl told her mother when reminded that God was with her, “But I want someone with skin on!”
I remember the last Sunday our church was open for regular services, they asked us to be mindful of physical contact. One of my dear sisters said to me, “I hope this doesn’t last long. We need to touch each other.”
She was right. We do. I would love to venture out and feel free to go wherever and do whatever. My grands seek hugs, cuddles, and back scratches many times throughout the day. I’m pretty sure the dog would prefer a little more hands off than she’s getting.
I want to hug others to me. My heart hurts for those who have no contact because of their living situations. If I’m aching for physical contact while surrounded by three family members and our dog, how much more are those who don’t have anyone?
Please God, let this end soon. We need fellowship. We need personal and physical contact. I’m not complaining. I’m not saying it is or isn’t time to loosen the restrictions. That’s not what this post is about. It’s about the stress hard times create and the need humans have for each other.
No matter what, though:
We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Rom 8:28
May God bless you and keep you and make his face shine upon you!
One last note:
Sometimes I don’t know what my message truly is until I start typing. That was true today. Also, I never pick an image until after I’ve written the post. Tears came to my eyes when I went to my favorite free stock photo site, pixabay.com, and searched for images related to hugs. Jesus is the lion who became flesh. This beautiful picture demonstrates this so well. I didn’t do that. God did.
The Workbench of Faith 