Quarantine – Turn North

Cue the uplifting musical score…it appears the quarantine may be gradually coming to an end over the next several weeks!

I don’t know about you, but the memes have been a huge coping mechanism for me! Since I am an educator, the home-schooling ones have owned me.

Since President Trump announced the plans for a gradual return to normalcy last night, I’ve been pondering the lessons I’ve learned during our nationwide quarantine.

Some of the lessons are more spiritual than others, but lessons nonetheless.

Lesson 1: My motivation for styling my hair and wearing make up is driven only by how many people I am likely to see on a given day. If it weren’t for Zoom, it may not have happened at all!

Lesson 2: Church attendance matters! I have always known this, but this little trial of virtual church, which got us through in a pinch, made me realize I need my people. No wonder the writer of Hebrews penned these words: not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:25 NAS). This command to gather is not meant to be a legalistic approach to church. Rather, it is for our own spiritual health.

Lesson 3: I learned I truly do enjoy cooking and exercising. However, these two activities act in opposition to each other. Furthermore, I cannot out-exercise a bad diet as evidenced by my Corona-19 weight gain.

Lesson 4: Collegiate football in Alabama is apparently a huge motivator for us to obey the stay at home order! I mean, even the President acknowledged this fact!

Lesson 5: Finally, I learned who the true heroes are in this country (essential workers)! Even in my own work circle, I have come to appreciate our nurses, maintenance staff, child nutrition staff, and janitorial staff even more!

Many people have felt a bit like the Children of Israel during the stay at home order.

They have kind of been wandering around their homes feeling like they do not have any real purpose or direction. But you know, there came a time when God instructed the Israelites to “turn north” toward Canaan, their final destination.

“Then we turned and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea, as the Lord spoke to me, and circled Mount Seir for many days. And the Lord spoke to me, saying, You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north…Deuteronomy 2:1-3

No longer would they roam in the wilderness, but would rather, march with intention toward their goal. TURN NORTH was the command from God.

Moses reminded the Children of Israel of their desert-wandering purpose:

He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land which He had sworn to our fathers. Deuteronomy 6:23

When the quarantine is over, how will we TURN NORTH?

What will we march toward with greater intention? Surely God didn’t bring us through all of this to remain unchanged. He brought us out in order to bring us in!

Tell me what you learned in the past 6-8 weeks. Share your “TURN NORTH” intentions!