Every time I do something clumsy …
Which happens a little too often …
Every time I forget something …
Even when I accomplish far fewer tasks than are on my to do list …
I’ve been known to utter the phrase …
This is how well I’m doing.
How well are you doing in ongoing pandemic post-2020 life?
Earlier today I listened to the Things Above podcast. In this episode host James Bryan Smith interviews John Mark Comer, author of the must-read The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. I was heartened to hear John Mark laugh at himself in admitting how often he doesn’t succeed in eliminating hurry in his life. “I literally wrote the book on this!”
I’m not sure if he goes by John Mark in his daily life or John or Mark or hey you, but I’m feeling some pressure to start going by all three of my names.
Ah yes, pandemic life. Which adds a whole extra layer of extra. I think everyone is familiar with the Spring 2020 Great Hoarding of toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and groceries. You may not be as familiar with the scarcity of some home improvement items.
Stuck at home? Might as well do those updates you’ve been meaning to address.
Some folks are remodeling or prepping to sell in order to create a better work- and school-from-home setup.
Eating way more meals at home? Chest freezers are reportedly in short supply.
You might remember we started a bathroom remodel back in October. The timing was driven by factors other than the pandemic, lucky us. After visiting a couple stores and doing much internet searching, we ordered a custom vanity top from the big orange box store. A sign in the store indicated a two week delivery, and the employee acknowledged times were running closer to three weeks because of COVID. So we fished the old countertop out of the construction dumpster and Macgyvered a temporary setup.
Thank goodness for the Macgyvering of the temporary setup. Thirteen weeks and a saga I’m not yet really emotionally prepared to share later … said vanity top was delivered to the house this morning. Stay tuned … as of this writing it is still in the unopened box. That thing better shine like God’s glory, just sayin’.
The other day a Mitch McVicker song came up on shuffle. The chorus in particular hit me in a way it hadn’t before.
“Cause every time arrows fill my fragile skies
Veiled behind neon flash disguises
Love will rise to my defense so I
Strap my hat on
And I lift my eyes when my King goes by
I’m gonna strap my hat on.”
(~Strap My Hat On chorus from Mitch McVicker’s Love Will Rise album.)
Hopefully I got the lyrics correct, as interweb sources were sketchy and I haven’t texted my friend to check. You can hear a live version of the song near the beginning of this video. (Also this is your reminder to back the Kickstarter for his new album, which is a little more than half funded.)
In this weird time …
When we’re mourning the death of routines …
(on top of the actual death of friends and fam) …
Of truly free speech …
Of civil public discourse …
Of so many things we perhaps took for granted …
Love will rise to my defense.
I don’t have to be doing well.
And that is how well I’m doing.
