Tag: 2020

You’re Going To Be Alright

1 Comment on You’re Going To Be Alright

I have maybe seen two or three episodes of the TV show Friends in my life. Shocking I know. I do, however, know the theme song. I’m sure you do as well, but just incase you don’t here are some of the lyrics. 

"So no one told you life was gonna be this way
Your job's a joke, you're broke
Your love life's DOA 
It's like you're always stuck in second gear
When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month
Or even your year"

When these lyrics randomly popped into my head last night, I thought to myself “I bet this is how a lot of people feel right now.” 2020 hasn’t been an easy year to navigate, for anyone. Some have had it easier than other. Some have had it so hard, it is unimaginable to the rest of us. People have lost family members, some have lost jobs, couples have had to get married while their loved ones watched over Zoom. Some women had to give birth without support, people died without a family member to hold their hand, and many people’s mental state plummeted because of the isolation. You might read all of those things and feel completely hopeless. Or maybe you have personally been affected by some items that I mentioned and you’re really struggling because of it. Whatever the case may be, I am sorry that you are having a difficult time.

A few months ago, I was having a really down day. I was feeling frustrated that we were still living in these unknown circumstances . I was sad that my kids couldn’t have huge playdates with their friends. I was disappointed because some of the plans we made had to be cancelled… again. As I was driving home from dropping the kids off at school and rolling around in my self pity I said to myself “I just feel gray and cloudy.” I looked up at the sky and it was gray and cloudy too. A perfect match to my emotion and current state of mind. Then I remembered something. Just because my life feels cloudy, that doesn’t change the fact that above the clouds, there is sunshine. In that moment I remembered so vividly flying into London last year right after Christmas. We were about 30 minutes from landing, the sun was shining so bright and beautifully above the clouds. As we began to descend to land we entered into the clouds, and the clouds kept coming. On and on for 20 minutes. Then the thick, dark fog hit. I was beginning to wonder if I would even see London at all. But about 5 minutes before we landed I spotted the ground below. I noticed how gray and cloudy everything was. Quite the contrast from the perfect sunny day I was enjoying while soaring above the clouds. The drastic contrast from above to below really struck me. On my cloudy day, that memory really provided some beautiful imagery for my life.

I realize your current situation or mental state might not be what you would prefer. It might be the exact opposite of what you had envisioned. The conditions you are facing right now may be considered far less than ideal. But there is good news. There is a promise deeply rooted in scripture that never changes, no matter how your life may be changing. And it is this, God is still good even when your circumstances are not. Your circumstances change, they may go from bad to worse, but the character of God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. There is no situation too difficult or too unpleasant that can undo His goodness. Your life might feel like it has just come crashing down, or that you’ve lost all hope, but there is hope in the hopeless. There is light in the darkness.

Trenton has a famous saying around our house anytime I am worrying about something, or stressing over a circumstance. He always calmly looks at me and states “but God.” That’s it. That’s all he has to stay to help me shift my focus from my worry to the one who holds all my worries in the palm of His hand.

Being able to remember the day we flew into London really shifted my perspective on the gray day I was having not long ago. I was reminded that no matter how I feel or what challenges I am facing there is always bright beautiful sunshine above the clouds, even though I can’t always see it. Above your clouds there is sunshine too. Beyond your problems there is goodness. Goodness rooted deeply in love and grace. Today I encourage you to shift your perspective. Focus your thoughts on the sunshine you might not be able to see and the God who made it.

Experiencing A Pandemic Lockdown While Living Abroad

Leave a Comment on Experiencing A Pandemic Lockdown While Living Abroad

Nobody was prepared for the dumpster fire that 2020 has been. I especially wasn’t ready to experience a pandemic while living in a foreign country. And to top it off, being in one that just happened to have some of the strictest lockdown measures in the world.  I can best sum up my experience like this, “I don’t know if it was all a dream or not.” It all seemed so surreal that its a bit hard to wrap my mind around. I am certain that all of the “social distancing” and lockdown measures have been difficult for us all, no matter where you live. This hasn’t been easy on anyone, anywhere in the world. But just for a moment, let me transport you into my world. How it was for me, in Madrid Spain:  

Let me start by saying that I am NOT a person who lives in fear, or gets scared or spooked easily. But, this experience was a bit scary at times. When they announced “Spain is locking down” they meant it. There was no ability to do anything. Literally ANYTHING. No sneaking past any rules. No wiggle room to do what you please. We were essentially locked in our house, for 3 months straight, the ability to go on a walk in our neighborhood was considered a criminal offense. I have never been so thankful for a yard in my life, it was the biggest blessing. We recognize that we had it so much better than most in Madrid. The large majority of people here live in apartments with their entire family, children included. The 4 walls of their apartment were it for them. Can you even imagine? 

At the time when we went into complete lockdown in March of 2020, the Covid-19 virus had a lot of mystery and unknowns surrounding it (in some ways it still does). This fact along with many others made for an ultra strict lockdown in Spain. Police were patrolling even my rural Madrid neighborhood. They were announcing things in Spanish over the speakers, that I didn’t understand, to make sure nobody stepped a toe out of line. That was unnerving for us all. We were not able to understand what was being announced and were not getting all of the news updates because only a few got translated into English. During that time we were beyond thankful for friends who were fluent in Spanish and were able to give us updates and help us better understand what was going on around us. That was so huge for us, without that help it would have made things ten times harder. 

The rules that the police were heavily enforcing were no joke. Everything you did had to be meticulously calculated as to stay within the lockdown measures. Only one person was permitted in a car. You were not allowed to go anywhere with anyone for any reason. The only places you were allowed to go were the following: grocery store, pharmacy, hospital, and tobacco store. Gas stations were also open as well as dry cleaners for some reason, though I never figured out why since all office buildings were closed. When I would venture out to buy food about every two weeks, I would get stopped by the police who would ask to see my ID to verify I was going to the grocery store closest to my home. Then, while returning home, I would have to show receipt proof of where I went and my ID once more. At the grocery store, police stood at every entrance making sure everyone was in masks and gloves. Inside the store any aisles not containing food related items were taped off with caution tape.  The only exceptions being the personal hygiene and pet care areas of the store. If it was your kids birthday, too bad. You couldn’t sneak past the caution tape to buy them any gifts. 

Once I got home with my haul there was a certain routine to bring everything into the house. I would carry everything in via the kitchen door. Next I would Clorox wipe everything down and then wipe down the counter where everything had been setting. Looking back, I can see how over the top this extra precaution was. However, to be fair, where I was living and what I was experiencing was a little over the top also. The times in which we were living in and in some ways are still living in, are unknown. None of us have ever experienced anything like this before in our lifetime, and hopefully we never will again. If there is one takeaway I hope to drive home to everyone it is this: show others grace. Whether it’s those you love or those you live around while navigating this season of life, pour out grace. Pour out understanding and patience. People who live with anxiety in normal circumstances are probably on overload right now. People who have kids with special health concerns (like my Jane), are trying our best to not instill a fear of illness into them, and into ourselves. If someone you want to spend time with kindly asks you to wear a mask around them to make them feel more comfortable, do it. Love and care for others selflessly. Even if you don’t care that people wear a mask around you, think of others needs before you think of your own. Thats the lesson I hope we can all take from 2020. Maybe a small inconvenience to me means that somebody I care about will have a little extra peace of mind today. 

This year has not gone the way any of us would have wanted. I remember at the start of the year Trenton and I were hyped up for all the things God was going to do in 2020. We had envisioned a resurgence of the “roaring twenties”, we wanted to take the year on with 20/20 vision for the future. This year did roar in, though in a different way than we expected. This season of life did give us 20/20 vision for our future,  many of the ways have been surprising to us. We have learned to be thankful for the little things in life. We have gotten to spend so much quality time together as a family and we we beyond grateful for that. So take a step back, try to look beyond the hard and disappointment this year has been. Find some things to be thankful for, I know you will find them!