Today is rather a special day. It's my brother's birthday. If he were alive, we would be celebrating his 78th. However, he died five years ago, but I think of him so often. I used to call him every month and so many times we would just giggle. I remember telling him that I was calling him long distance and all we're doing is laughing and that we needed to be talking about something and that made us giggle even more! It makes me laugh now when I think about those times. What pleasant memories I have of him and those times.
Here we are ending our sixth month of lockdown. Who would have thought! However, now we are allowed to leave our homes every ten days instead of every two weeks because they've opened up Saturday and Sunday. And the little taxis are now operating here in Valle. I love that since I can use one coming home while carrying groceries.
A couple of weeks ago I went to our little post office here to see if I could receive mail, etc. Sure enough, I can. I was able to rent a mailbox. Always before, if I had mail, it would go to the PIEDAD post office box in Tegucigalpa. Now there is no traveling to Tegucigalpa except for "essential" workers, etc. and the post office is downtown. So having a box here will be much better when mail can once again enter the country. Yeah, there is no international mail entering the country. Isn't that the craziest thing especially since they've opened the national and international airports? I told my son to let me know when he sends me a letter so I'll know how many days it takes to get here. The young lady at the post office told me 12-15 days. We'll see.
All this time in our homes. I've been thinking about what I've learned. Probably the first thing is to be still, Ps.46:10. The next is to be content 1Tim.6:8, and Phil.4:11 as Paul said and to give thanks in all things, Eph.5:20. I've been so thankful that I don't live in an apartment. I have a house with a front and back yard. So I can go outside and walk around. Many times I've thought of how much worse this could be: no food or water in the stores, and not being able to go to the store, etc. I've also learned to be more dependent on the Lord instead of myself. I've learned that if he doesn't move, what can I do? I'm learning not to panic when I hear bad news because I've learned that he is in control of my life and he will show me what to do or not do. And when I do become fearful about something to stop and talk to him about the situation, my feelings, etc. And always his peace returns to me. That's another thing that I've learned over the years: his peace. When I don't have peace, I talk to him about whatever and he always answers by restoring his peace to me. God is so good. Never did he intend for us to be alone. His promise is to always be with us and to never forsake us regardless of what is going on in or around us. He is a good God.
In one of my many psychology classes years ago I heard that people need three things in their lives:somebody to love, something to do, and something to look forward to. I have people to love, and I look forward to to my student coming every Thursday afternoon and that also gives me something to do. You know the Lord will put us in a place to truly show us who He is and who we are! Now what does that have to do with what I first said? It's that we are so busy and hurry, hurry all the time that we truly don't count the so called little blessings that we do have. We are too busy trying to get more things or trying to do more things. I cannot find one place where the Lord told us to hurry up or to be busy doing all the time. I cannot find one place where Jesus was ever in a hurry. But the world and even the church says we have to be busy all the time. My daughter told me one time that I couldn't even watch a movie without being busy doing something like knitting, sewing, or crocheting. She was right because when I was a little girl and my grandparents got a television I was told sitting and watching it was a waste of time. So I learned to be doing something when watching TV. And I still do much of the time. Only now it's doing puzzles! It's a hard habit to break but I'm learning. Jesus showed me a long time ago that doing something with him is much different than doing something for him. If he's not in it, I don't want to be there. He also said that without him, we can do nothing. That is to say, nothing of spiritual value. And I've learned to walk to the store and downtown at a more leisurely gate instead of hurrying. It's the mind that makes our feet hurry. If we calm our minds, the body will follow. And it's so much better. I enjoy looking at all that God has created for us, and when I think of all the things that I see, I'm amazed at how awesome he truly is. We take these things for granted many times but when we stop to ponder the differences and how truly different they are, we see God in a different light.
The Lord doesn't waste time or talent. In this time of lockdown, He has things to teach each one of us in our walk with him. And I give him thanks for what He's doing in this time even though I don't understand it all.
Grace and peace to all.
