Opportunity
Our family has been in a unique quarantine for over three weeks now. Right when the Covid-19 situation was starting to gain traction in our country, our school system closed a couple of days early right before Spring Break, so we decided to implement the kids Spring Break plan a little early – which was spend the week with their Grandparents in Central Florida. So our plan was to drive them down, stay for 1-2 days, and then come home while the kids enjoyed Spring Break with them. We would meet up with them halfway and swap towards the end of Spring Break week to pick them back up.
Well as we were headed down, and once we got down there, things rapidly got worse regarding the pandemic. We decided it was in all of our best interest to implement the “stay at home” rule with my wife’s parents immediately, so we have never returned home, having been down here now over three weeks and counting.
I’m still unemployed though and looking for a full time job is even a little more challenging now than ever before. My wife has had to learn how to “work from home” 100% of the time after having just started a full time job a couple of months ago. We’ve had to figure out a routine and school/learning for our kids.
But like everyone else, we don’t know what the future holds.
When can we go home?
When can we leave the house?
Will school even start back this year?
Will we get Covid-19 even though we have been “staying at home”?
I have been trying hard each day to look at this entire time as an unprecedented opportunity instead of a hindrance. Three generations getting to spend this much time together is rarely ever available! Our kids have had some great quality time with their grandparents as my wife and I have as well. Plus… It has been sunny and 80 degrees EVERY DAY, allowing us to be outside and swim in the pool they have daily.
I am not diminishing the challenges all of us are facing with the “Stay at Home” rules no matter how serious you and your family are taking them. But as a Real Christian Businessman we need to lead in our homes by example as much as we do in our vocation, and take advantage of the “good things” that are in front of us instead of looking at everything as a nuisance.
Take time this week to embrace this opportunity we have been given instead of complaining about it and look for ways to do things and spend time together that would have never happened before.
There are plenty of other people complaining about it all so it’s not like that attitude will be missed!
“Making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Eph 5:16 (NIV)