Having to limit my time outside the walls of our home has had some benefits. We have gone through cabinets and closets inside the house and garage. As soon as stores open, Rick will be dropping off sacks of donations to our favorite ministries, and we’ll be wandering the mall just to be around people – hopefully without masks.
While still waiting, I’m going through files and finding some gems. One sheet of paper came from Carolyn Dunn, a wise woman of faith and friend of mine now living in residential care. I found notes from one of her mini-retreats on Smart Choices for Your Life’s “What’s Next?” Before embarking on a new adventure (and we are never too old for that!), she advised us to consider possibilities before making our next life choice:
It is never too late to craft a new (life-chapter) story. How do you want to be remembered?
Understand that your mindset, not your circumstances, governs your life decisions.
Become aware that you do have choices. (Toss the excuses!)
Take responsibility for the choices you make.
Be brave. Be gentle. Not everyone is going to be happy about your choices.
Make the hard choices anyway! Keep the end goal in mind. (And to add my two-bits – small changes over time make a big difference!)
We have so many choices at our fingertips. We can take lessons on YouTube for just about anything – acrobatics to ZOOM. There are a thousand churches online with podcasts and live streaming, Bible studies, online prayer gatherings. Take your pick – and you don’t have to limit yourself to Sunday! Love spreading your faith and want to share? Check into BiblicalEvangelism.com. Have you always dreamed of being a writer? Check out Jerry Jenkins Writers’ Guild. How about lectures from experts in a dozen fields (cooking, acting, directing, dancing, economics, writing and more)? Look into the Master Class online. Some courses cost money, but there are so many enrichment classes available for free. And we have time…. lots of time…
Maybe it all boils down to how we think about the restrictions under which we live right now.
I have to stay home.
I get to stay home.
Which mindset helps us make the most out of the precious time we have been given?