We had just received a package from my sweet mother-in-law of Texas Tech face masks for our entire family that she had sewn with love and expedited to our house in Tennessee..
Of course, we all put them on, took a family selfie (see below)..
And Karis looks up at us and asks us why we had to wear the masks.
I was shocked. She knows things are different right now. She hasn’t left the house, hasn’t gone into a store for weeks, and hasn’t gone to actual school for weeks. She wakes up for remote learning through Zoom, sees me teaching Freshman English through Zoom, sees her brothers work on their school work and Zoom, and hears her Daddy working remotely as well. We haven’t been to a restaurant and rarely eat out (which due to our usually crazy schedule is how we do most of our eating) including going to her favorite–Chick-Fil-A. She hasn’t been “chasing” her brothers around all of Middle Tennessee to ballparks for travel baseball season or walked around Hobby Lobby. She hasn’t been to Sunday school class at the building or we haven’t been able to worship all together as a church family where we could “touch” one another.
Instead her days have been filled with remote learning, playing with her American Girl dolls, reading, playing outside, swimming (when the weather has been good), jumping on the trampoline, golf cart rides, laughing, watching tons of episodes of shows on Disney Plus, FaceTiming with friends and family from afar, and worshiping online. We have baked, watched some movies, and cleaned out some closets. She cuddles with a book and loves to read to us.
And not once has she complained. Not once has she said she is bored. I am stir crazy….but one look at her and how she is handling this all has been refreshing.
Quite frankly, I think we can all learn something from her.
So here are a few lessons we can learn from Karis……..
- Family time is special. That is what she calls it. When you ask her what she thinks some of her friends are doing, she will tell you they are probably having family time like her. The snuggles on the couch. The meals together at the table. We are together—not at sports games, not at other events, but protected time where our intentions have now become intentional. How often does the busy-ness of life interrupt this? For us, I have to say–quite a bit unfortunately. Our home should be “the most important” on our list. This is where our kids learn about God. This is where our kids become grounded in the standard of the Word compared to the standard of the world. This is where our kids learn the tools to go out and bring others to Christ. This is where our kids learn to love. Are we making the time to do this when there are other factors taking us away from our home? Are we making “disciples” in our own home? (Matthew 28:19)
- Being Content. I know I said earlier—she hasn’t complained. She hasn’t said she is bored. She may go outside and play when the sun is shining bright, or she may wrap an American Girl in a blanket and stroll her around when the rain is pouring down. “I have learned the secret to being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want…” Philippians 4:11-12 I love these words of Paul right here—Content–no matter the situation we find ourselves in, do we find the good?
- Praising in the Storm. She doesn’t watch much of the news. We may try to protect her in some sense of the matter, but you can hear her sweet voice singing praises or wearing her favorite shirt “God is good all the time, and all the time God is good” in what is “different.” The other night on a family Zoom, she could not get in a word (I mean 12 of us on)—so she wrote a note and put it up on her screen. “Can we sing?” So, when we asked her what she wanted to sing. Her choice…Jesus Loves Me.
Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, they are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so.
When the storm arises, do we hold fast to our anchor? To cloud the uncertainty, do we lift up our hands to Him and connect through praises? What about being vulnerable in our prayer life. Do we keep attached to the vine? Abide in Me—in the good and in the bad.
- Life isn’t about the things—it is the people. If she has asked for anything, it has been to FaceTime with her friends. She LOVES to Zoom with her teacher and classmates. She hasn’t asked for any new dolls or doll clothes. She hasn’t asked for any toys. The only thing she has really asked for is communication with her friends. She cannot wait to be back in Bible class. She cannot wait to give Mrs. Cherry a hug around the neck as well as her classmates (well, maybe not the boys 🙂 )when we return back to school. She cannot wait to give her aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents a hug. “May we truly LOVE one another and not take each other granted again….” We were made to be in community.
A child-like faith….may we “become as little children….” Matthew 18:3
Anchored to Him,
Leigh Ann
