It seems like an eternity since I last sat down to post, when in actuality it has been only 3 months. 3 very L……O…….N…….G…… months!
Quarantine and “Safe At Home” has been a new experience for me. I am one of those people who likes to stay busy, likes to be in contact with other people, and enjoys just getting out and seeing things. To find myself stuck at home, having groceries delivered to my porch and weekly drop-offs from a local restaurant was NOT something that I would have chosen, but it was something that I benefited from.
I have learned a lot during my time here at home.
- I enjoy crafting, but maybe not as much as I THOUGHT I did. Even when given extra time, I did not have a true desire to do things. I did start off with good intentions; my first big project was to make some crocheted orchids that I had promised my son ages ago.
Then I sat down with some yarn I had on hand to crochet a doggie blanket for my daughter’s Maltese who LOVES anything I have ever crocheted. Much to my chagrin, I ran out of yarn with only 6 rows to go! At that point, I laid the blanket aside until I could go purchase the necessary yarn to finish and I pulled out a cross-stitch stocking that I had started for my son-in-law a while back. I worked diligently on that for a few days before laying it aside once again. Other than that, I have not made very good use of my extra crafting time. I did pull out fabric and elastic and make masks for my family members- until I ran out of elastic.
2. I need to be a bit more frugal. I was not one of those people who ordered a great deal of items while I was home-bound. Instead, I just waited, preferring to see items firsthand before spending the money. To my surprise, I found that there was more surplus money in my account than I expected and it HAD to be because I was not shopping. I am going to try to set a monthly limit when I do go back to shopping and make sure that I only spend that amount, barring any emergencies of course.
3. I NEED to meet more new people! Since our move in October I have met a few key individuals, but not many that I know well enough to just pick up the phone and contact. That has made quarantine a bit lonely. I have been making a point to contact family members during this time, especially my father, but I have really missed having friends that I could talk with. Hey! I did not even get an opportunity to try one of those ZOOM meetings. LOL.
4. (The MOST important lesson I learned) Even when other things are taken away, my FAITH is what will get me through! My morning time spent with God became very important during quarantine. I found myself searching for as many bible verses as I could that dealt with anxiety, fear, and trusting in God. I spent mornings journaling in my faith planner (Here are just a sample of those pages.)
I have always loved my daily time with God, but I found myself leaning on God even more than ever! Just the act of reading a verse, writing the verse, and then adding a simple drawing, sticker, or stamped image, helped to reinforce God’s presence and the fact that God is in control during this time. As the world and I re-emerge into the unknown before us, I need to continue to remind myself of this. God has even used this time as a way to present a new opportunity for me to possibly teach a class in Bible journaling at my new church. I am looking forward to doing that at some point when things re-open.
I will be honest and say that I am taking my journey back into the world slow and steady. I am wearing a mask whenever I do venture out and have only done so in smaller stores like our local Dollar Generals and a nearby Save-A-Lot grocery store. I REALLY, REALLY would like to make a visit to a Hobby Lobby to get a few things I need to finish a couple of projects, (like that dog blanket) but I am waiting to see what happens to the numbers the next couple of weeks. I have not set foot in a Walmart or any other big box store like that and I am not sure when I will be able to bring myself to do so. I am sure that God will continue to teach me lessons as I do try to re-emerge into society and I am anxious to see what those lessons might be!
Renewal and Refuge 