Normally bustling Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica is mostly silent amid coronavirus outbreak
Closed shops and very few pedestrian seen along the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California.
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No NCAA Basketball tournament. This is really March madness. No NBA, right when the Celtics were getting healthy and ready for a playoff run. No NHL. The Bruins have the best record in hockey and are poised to win the championship after just missing it last year. But no sports. None.
These are some crazy times. Schools are shutting down sending students home, workplaces are closing and teleworking is the new norm, people are isolating to keep social distance. We are all in a holding pattern waiting for the world to change.
This is a season of waiting. A season when nothing appears to be happening. At least nothing good. There’s just nothing going on. There’s no growth. There’s no real activity. There’s just nothing except waiting.
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You may be wondering what you're going to do with your life. How am I ever going to get past this? Will we ever exit out of this lifeless season? How much longer do we have to wait?
It’s a challenging season. It’s a difficult season to be in. But, it is a season. It isn’t your whole life. It is a season in your life. And seasons always change.
But in the meantime, how do you deal with this season of waiting?
Accept this present situation
The first thing that you do is accept this present situation. If you’re so frustrated you just can't take it anymore. Watch out. Don’t do something foolish. Don’t act. Accept the season of waiting. Acceptance is the pathway to peace.
Honor God in the way you’re living in this present situation. And realize that while you wait, God is active. While you are waiting, God is working. Just because you are waiting doesn’t mean God isn’t working.
This pandemic is not a surprise to God.
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And God knows what we don't know about the future. We don’t have that kind of foreknowledge. But God does. God may be orchestrating events, situations and circumstances so that when the season of waiting is over, it will be a good result for you.
Gain a new perspective
Here’s something else that happens while we’re waiting. We have an opportunity to gain a little more perspective. It’s amazing how we can feel this way right now and then give it a little time, we have a different perspective. You can look at the same thing differently after some time has passed.
And maybe God knows we’ve got to get to a new perspective. And we can’t get there without some time passing and some waiting involved. And though no one would sign up for this situation, sometimes it’s the only way to gain new perspective.
It can take that long for us to see things - either things that have been in front of us all along that we haven’t been willing to see or new information brought into our lives. Stuff we never thought of or ever considered before. You’ll be glad for the wait.
Look for the blessings
In this season of waiting, we can look for the blessings. We can squeeze out all of the blessings available even in this crazy time. Decide to take this posture in this season of uncertainty. Squeeze every ounce of blessing possible from it.
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This time together at home can be a real blessing. Time spent with family is valuable. And those times are far too rare. But now that has changed. Memories can be made that will last long after this outbreak is over.
Some of life’s greatest blessings and breakthroughs come out of times of extreme trial and difficulty. So, you can actually feel excited about the future because waiting can result in something better.
Focus on personal growth
This season of waiting can give you time to focus on your personal growth. Use this unexpected downtime to focus on getting closer to God, learning a new skill, serving people who are vulnerable right now or reconnecting with people you care about.
Now you have time to read, watch that educational video, listen to that sermon. You can develop the plan for your new business, work on the book you’ve always wanted to write, read the entire Bible for the first time. While everyone else is shutting down, maybe it's time for you to start up.
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Waiting gives time to reflect on your life and direction. It gives you the opportunity to evaluate yourself in a different environment. If you find yourself falling short of your own standards – watching too much TV, eating too much, drinking too much – now is the time for a change.
What mindset are you adopting toward this current situation? Don’t waste the wait. Come out better on the other side.