The time to thrive
Covid 19 restrictions have been on us for just under a year now. But as Lyndall and I sat down together on Feb 15 (the start of the school year in SA), we decided that it needs to be different from 2020. As a family, as Hearts That Hope, 2020 was a year we learned to survive Covid 19; but in 2021 we need to learn to thrive.
We need to change our attitude towards restrictions and the new rules being placed upon on. We can only change the things we can change, so let’s not waste any time or energy complaining. So much of our energy in 2020 was spent trying to make sense of things; why the beaches were closed but the casinos were open; why we need to sanitize our hands every time we enter a new shop? We even had to come to terms with the fact that our children may not experience the same childhood we had; they may not be able to play sport or go on camps. But we challenged ourselves to use this as an opportunity for them to find and pursue other interests.
What can we do to thrive in 2021?
1. Use the time to nurture family relationships. We got so used to allowing our children to use screens as they were around us 24/7. The TV or phone too easily babysat our children. Now it’s time to put those things away and start finding family things to do again. Get your child to bake with you, find board games that your whole family can enjoy together. Things like; Uno, Sequence, Kids on Stage, Rummikub, Trominos, are just a few we have come to love. Go to the library together as a family to get books to read.
2. Be aware of the Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) that we need during this time.
- Love- for others and those making the rules
- Joy- when some of the things that you think give you joy are taken away like sports, the beach, a vacation
- Peace- As we have seen over 2020 people are really struggling just to understand each other and other cultures
- Kindness- Look to people that might be suffering a great deal more than you because of covid and take your eyes off yourself
- Goodness- Find ways to bless those people
- Gentleness- how are you treating your spouse and children during these stressful times?
- Self-control- what is coming out of your mouth? Have strategies to help you when you feel overwhelmed and as if you may be losing control
3. Be positive! Right now might be one of the hardest times to be positive, especially as parents who are also bearing the brunt of our children’s negativity. Find positives in your life and in your children each day. Make it a habit to share these things and encourage each other. You can change the atmosphere in your house with positivity and encouragement so that the strain on Covid 19 doesn’t bear too heavily on your family’s wellbeing.
We need to learn to thrive in 2021 as Covid isn’t leaving us anytime soon. We can’t do anything about the virus, but there is so much we can do about our attitude towards it how we deal with it in our daily lives.
Please continue to pray with us; pray for the fruits of the spirit over all of our lives during these uncertain times.