Tag Archives: lockdown 2020

Preparation

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So, I’m just going to jump right in and start: I’ve been musing about “preparation” recently. Physical preparation for things, mental preparation and yes, even spiritual preparation. There’s been a lot of talk about it during the pandemic: preparing for the “next wave”, vaccine distribution and simply being prepared for lockdowns, curfews and staying at home. Could we have been “better prepared”? What does that look like?

To help clarify, I looked up the definition (via Google):

PREPARATION: noun

  • the action or process of making ready or being made ready for use or consideration.
  • something done to get ready for an event or undertaking (plural noun: preparations)
  • a substance that is specially made up and usually sold, especially a medicine or food.

Basically, it’s getting ready. Of course, all of us do this is some way, shape or form. We dress and wash and go off to work. We prepare meals and write speeches and plan events. There are varying degrees to this “getting ready”, and some of us are better at it than others. In fact, some of us are borderline OCD in our colour coded, labelled and listed worlds of organization… all in the name of being “prepared”. It gives us a sense of control. We are “ready” for the beginning of an event and have ticked all the boxes in order to be in that state.

Others are a little more lacking in this realm of the cohesive flow chart. Some seek the adventure of the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants way of taking on tasks: wing it and see what happens. They make little consideration for the future and tend to like it that way. In the Mitton house, we have both highly dramatic prepare-ers and those who are highly prepared for the drama of the unknown. Me? I’m somewhere in the middle… I like the control, but some days I lack the effort needed to even think about preparing for the next event. Especially as I get older. Maybe there is less of a future to think about as you age. Perhaps different stages of life require different obligations. Young moms need to be a little more prepared than those of us who have young adults who should know how to take care of themselves by now (Notice I said “should” — ahem).

Crockpots, meal prep and personal hygiene aside, I’ve also been broadening my thoughts to something known as “preparation day”. The gospels refer to this day as the day before the Sabbath… a day to do all the work necessary to truly rest on Shabbat (Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:31). Those who follow the Church of the Latter Day Saints have adopted this ancient Jewish practice as well, apparently, and prepare the day before their Sabbath. The danger of such practices, however, is when one doesn’t follow through. What happens if you don’t prepare? Are you shunned? Do you judge and become legalistic? I love the idea of setting aside a day for rest and reflection. And I love the idea of doing all the prep work ahead of time in order to be given that luxury of a full day of quiet. But is that what it is all about? Is it okay to “work” on a church day? What does “work” mean? Is one person’s work another person’s pleasure? What if God wired you as a “do-er” and that fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants creature who just doesn’t prepare? Does it make you less spiritual?

I am old enough to remember when stores were closed on Sundays and church happened morning, noon, and night. There were big Sunday dinners (I’m sure those moms worked hard!) and guests to serve. Were the good old days better? Or do the conveniences of modern day allow us to serve our fellow humans better now? At the beginning of lockdown, people marveled at the gift of time… we baked bread, we tidied and organized and spent quality time. Did it make us more spiritual? More worshipful or connected? I’m not so sure. When we are forced into spiritual reflection we do it, but I’m not sure it’s a sustainable method for growth. On the other hand, maybe it’s a good discipline to set aside a day of preparation in order to celebrate a day of rest.

I guess the jury is still out on this one. I’ll still be thinking about it. I was thinking about it when I pulled out the crockpot this morning in preparation for tonight’s dinner. Ten bonus points for me, right?!

Blessings, friends!

Prison Break

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I’m afraid this post is going to be heavy. Want to know what I have been musing about this week? Prison. Yeah. Lockdown. Behind bars. Chained up and the key thrown away. I’m not sure why this strange idea has been mulling around in my brain — but there ya have it. Perhaps because our city is back in lockdown again. Perhaps because our dog is struggling to be crated. Perhaps vegan promotional videos keep popping up on my feeds about animal torture. Perhaps because I’ve been looking at Daniel passages. Whatever the reason, prison has been on my mind.

Lock down.

According to Statistics Canada, in 2015–2016 there were a total of 40,147 adult offenders incarcerated in Canadian federal and provincial prisons on an average day for an incarceration rate of 139 per 100,000 population.[1] That’s a large number of people behind bars. Plus the folks under age, on house arrest, and serving their “time” in some other capacity. I don’t know about you, but it makes me sad. And question. Why? How? Did they all have a fair trial? Where were their mothers? How did life take such a wrong turn?I’m really not politically minded enough to delve into the justice system and all the ins and outs of how incarceration works… or if it works. Yet, it strikes me how sin natured the world is … and how violent or corrupt we can be when left to our own devices.

We’ve watched a few documentaries recently on ways people are gathering evidence about the African slave trade and links to the slave ships that have sunk to the bottom of the ocean… leaving their precious cargo to their unfortunate fates. I wonder how God feels when He sees what we do to each other. He was there when Nero orchestrated feeding the early Christians to the lions for sport. He was there when the slave ships were packed so tight there was inches between humans. He was there with Noah when the world was so bad He felt the need to start over and wipe the slate clean. And He’s here now in the middle of a virus that is killing people around the world. Now, I am not naive enough to think that our world is more “civilized” than in Noah’s day. We haven’t changed all that much. Human trafficking, kidnap, torture. It’s still out there. It may be buried behind closed doors or under the veil of the dollar amounts or hidden in cyberspace, but it’s there. And I am sure it still makes Heaven sad.

Photo by Szabu00f3 Viktor on Pexels.com

Now we can debate about free will, justice, judges and inequities, but opinions run high and frankly, I’m not equipped with enough knowledge to engage in those debates. Nonetheless, I am disappointed when the North American church claims persecution when our “rights” are infringed upon. I’m pretty sure we have no idea what real persecution is. Yes, my beliefs will be challenged, the Bible says so. Yes, I should be prepared to give an account for my faith. Yes, I should research and be aware of government rules and systems that go against my fundamental thinking and belief system. Yes, I should be willing to take a stand. Yet I am called to know my place in society and under the authority of my leaders who were placed there under God’s will. The devil is much more subtle in his ways here, and it is certainly no cause for complacency. But, for the moment, I can share in peace and relative comfort, compared to other believers in other parts of the world.

It’s been a heavy journey through this post. I’m not usually one for such topics, but sometimes you have to be in the darkness to see the light. And I’m sure many a survivor will attest to the fact that God is faithful… and fully just. Holiness is not always a bed of roses. Holiness and being “set apart” often comes with consequences. My thoughts and prayers are with those who are in the midst of the darkness because of their faith, today. Others who are lost in a system of hurt and wrong doings. God is good. And one day (soon!) our faith shall be made sight. Be blessed, my friends!

A Season of Growth

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Back when school was actually in, and I was musing about if homework was actually necessary, (Ha! Little did I know!) there was a lot of talk about this idea of “growth mindset” among educators and how it influences our students and how they learn. I suppose, it really is how we all learn. In case you have no idea what I am talking about, here is the general idea:

A growth mindset, proposed by Stanford professor Carol Dweck in her book Mindset, describes people who believe that their success depends on time and effort. People with a growth mindset feel their skills and intelligence can be improved with effort and persistence. They embrace challenges, persist through obstacles, learn from criticism and seek out inspiration in others’ success.

Those who hold a growth mindset believe that they can get better at something by dedication of time, effort and energy. Working on one’s flaws, and the process—not the outcome—are the  most important components. With time and practice, people with a growth mindset believe they can achieve what they want. The opposite of a growth mindset is a fixed mindset.

From: https://tophat.com/glossary/g/growth-mindset/

There is some confuddled methodologies and thought processes surrounding this whole idea — but it is what I have been musing about this week. “Growth”. I’ve been thinking about literal growth — changes you can physically see, as well as the more mystical, unseen growth, that we all do as people when faced with situations like this global pandemic we are all experiencing right now. Three weeks in, and people are starting to talk about the consequences. I’m curious to see how this will change us. Will it change us for the better? Or will we revolt and protest? Only time will tell. Speaking of time; it is finally starting to be “spring-like” around here and, like I have said so many times before, time has a way of moving forward… worldwide pandemic or not. The buds are starting to show up on the trees. We have started our little seeds and the kids have cleaned up the backyard garden (hurray for quarantine — we are ahead this year!) and we are dreaming about fresh veggies! We also fostered some baby ducklings for 3 weeks — which was definitely a growth project! Those tiny things grew fast! I’m not sure I am cut out for farming — as much as this city girl dreams about it, (constantly) it would certainly take some “growing” on my part. Perhaps these cuties will be a topic for a future muse.

Our baby ducklings went from this — to this — in only 3 short weeks!!

Which brings me back to my muse. I think growth is a unique entity. We have “growth spurts” and we have long, slow, lengthy times of maturing that seemingly takes forever. It’s hard to see growth in those times. We think that nothing new is happening. Like a young tween waiting to get curves or the first facial hair. Often, those are times of renewal and recovery (or perhaps discovery?) — so that all the conditions are right for good growth. It’s been a month of ups and downs for the Mitton crew during lockdown 2020. I get excited about a new project or homeschool, and just as quickly get sad and frustrated. Some days I dream big, and other days I can’t seem to get moving at all. They tell me that’s normal. It seems we are in a season of growth.

So as I navigate this time, I’ve been encouraged by the words of Lamentations 3. Verses 22 and 23 are the most famous, of course, and the most uplifting when it comes to sparking Hope and Encouragement:

But it is interesting to note that the full chapter is a lament. It’s not that encouraging. It’s full of despair and depression. Then the writer comes to the realization of God’s ancient idea of a growth mindset. Each morning is a new day. And God’s love is faithful. It’s a process, with ebbs and flows of good and bad. A journey with a goal, where success is measured by time, effort and persistence. And failure is part of the process.

So, what about you all? Are you feeling stuck in the lament? Are you wallowing in the darkness of unemployment, uncertainty or just simple boredom? Tomorrow is a new day. Filled with new doses of mercy, light and hope from a God whose faithfulness is timeless. May you be encouraged, my friend, by the journey itself. Your successes will be achieved through time, effort and tiny steps forward. Oh… I am certainly not there either. My mind dreams big, but the flesh is weak, and laziness, to be truthful, is a whole lot easier. Share me some love, okay? Post a thought, some encouragement, or something you’re doing to make this season of “slow growth” helpful for all of us! I love to hear your comments.

Want some ideas for some things to do during your “slow growth” time at home? Check out these posts: How to Stay Motivated Brag Tags DinoSaurs or browse through my old muses like the Colouring Party!