PEACE IN THE PANDEMIC
Paz en la Pandemia
by
Mary Hunt Webb
Posted Saturday, October 31, 2020
Have the restrictions of the pandemic made you grumpy? [Photographer: Gundula Vogel. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com.]
The waitress at a restaurant that we frequent surprised us when she told my husband and me, "You two are cool!"
We asked in surprise, "We are?", because we couldn't imagine why she would say that!
"Yeah," she replied,, "because you're always nice to me!"
"Most people aren't?"
"No," she shook her head. "Most people are grumpy!"
After she turned away, my husband and I agreed that she had witnessed "pandemic fatigue". The restrictions that are supposed to limit the spread of COVID-19 are affecting the emotions and attitudes of many people. That happens when people feel their freedoms, opportunities, and relationships are limited. People become grumpy when they only look at what they can't do or can't have rather than what they can do and can have.
Happily, some people have looked for positivity in the midst of the pandemic. Many found it in gardening.
Like many, this woman has found that gardening helps her cope with the restrictions of the pandemic. [Photographer: Elizabete Di Domenico. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com.]
So many people planted and grew their own food that it has resulted in the latest shortage: Canning jar lids. As they began to preserve the bounty of their gardens through canning, they needed jars and lids. Even those that had jars needed lids for those jars, so there was a run on them. Others decided to freeze their produce, but if they didn't already have a freezer apart from the one attached to their refrigerator, they discovered that new freezers were unavailable.
Even people that already had jars for canning had difficulty finding new lids for those jars. [Photographer: Cara Shelton. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com.]
It wasn't just the increase in gardening that led to this shortage. Manufacturers had responded to the recession that resulted from the onset of the pandemic by cutting back on production of many appliances and laying off employees. Consequently, production of many appliances dropped, and those included refrigerators, microwave ovens, stoves, washing machines, and clothes dryers. But, with Americans staying home, cooking at home more, renovating their homes, and focusing on the needs of their homes, demand skyrocketed.
But the problem of supply and demand is not limited to inanimate objects.
As a result of social distancing, the demand for furry friends has exceeded the availability in many places. [Photographer: Orna Wachman. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com.]
Demands for pets have surged as well because people are staying at home more. With social distancing mandated in many states, many people are coping with loneliness by adopting pets. In essence, pets have become the substitute for human friends. The demand for furry friends has exceeded the availability in many parts of the United States. This need for contact with another living being is a way of coping with the anxiety that the pandemic and its social isolation have brought about. However, Jesus knew there would be tough times ahead. That's why He said, in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (NIV)
When we have peace, then we can begin to look for things that bring us joy. In my case, I began looking for smiles and laughter everywhere. And I found one! While I was cutting a yellow bell pepper, I found a laughing face looking back at me!
I hope it cheers you as much as it did me! And I pray that you start looking for smiles, too!
BIBLE VERSES USED IN THIS POSTING
John 14:27 — Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (NIV)
Juan 14:24 — La paz os dejo mi paz os doy; yo no os la doy como el mundo la da. No se turbe vuestro corazón, ni tenga miedo.(Reina-Valera 1960)
Romans 15:13 — May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (NIV)
Romanos 15:13 — Y el Dios de esperanza os llene de todo gozo y paz en el creer, para que abundéis en esperanza por el poder del Espíritu Santo. (Reina-Valera 1960)
"May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13, NIV). [Photographer: Mary Hunt Webb*.]
* Please do not use our original photos without our permission. These include photos by Mary Hunt Webb, Morris Webb, Jr., Morris Webb, Sr., and C.B. Hunt. Thank you.
