When a crisis hits, it can knock us down. We don’t know what to expect. Our “normal” has been stripped away. But if we look back at any crisis, somehow good can come from it. I don’t know about you, but that’s been my prayer lately.

Lord, show me the good that can come from this. . .

And I realized that in a crisis, we learn these things:

• We discover what we can do
• We learn what we really need and what we don’t
• We discover what matters

Can I tell you what I learned? I discovered that connection and community matter more to me than I ever knew. “I’ve got this,” I thought, when all the restrictions came out. I can be at home full-time, because that’s what I do.

Pshaw.

I miss my people. I miss touch. I miss seeing friends. I miss the human connection that fills me up — and I didn’t realize how much until I had to stand at a distance of 6+ feet with my hands in my pockets or stare at a computer screen to see my friends or family.

I want to consciously look past this pandemic to see what he can show me during this crisis. And when it goes away — because it will eventually — I don’t want to turn my back on any discoveries.

So, let me ask you this and I’d love to hear your answer. Due to this crisis, what have you:

• discovered that you can do?
• determined that you really need and what you don’t?
• decided what matters to you most?

When we learn new things about ourselves, it frees us. It’s a lock-down knock-down because we:

Step into that new strength and celebrate it

Refuse to expand energy and time in things that we don’t need

Treasure what matters so we can put time into that and them 

In no way am I saying this is not hard, because for some of you this is the most challenging season of your entire existence. And it’s been hard for me in so many ways. Yet I’m challenging myself (and you, friend) to reach for him and for each other and to ask God to show us the strengths to be found. We still go through this (or any other) crisis but we emerge on the other side stronger, wiser, and more certain of who God is than before.

Suzie

Speaking of lockdown, in today’s More Than Small Talk podcast, Kathi Lipp shares ways we can live ready no matter the crisis.

A crisis can hit you emotionally, but we can also find ourselves ill prepared in other ways. Kathi offers practical steps that are easy to do. She shows us how to be neighbors with each other, creating community that show up in a crisis.

And Holley, Jennifer, and also talk about the emotional gaps we all feel when the world feels crazy.

Listen to today’s episode, “Ready for Anything.:

Discover all the ways you can listen to More Than Small Talk here. 

More Resource(s) for you

Ready for Anything by Kathi Lipp 

Come With Me by Suzanne (Suzie) Eller