I washed both cars, fixed a clogged drain, deleted emails, cancelled a fishing trip, cleaned the garage, cleaned a gutter and became an expert in making marsala sauce just like Carrabba’s. I did all this and continued to maintain a teletherapy counseling practice. You might be tempted to think I am bragging but I am not. I have been doing many of the things I usually say I don’t have time to do. If this lasts much longer, I may learn a foreign language.
By staying busy we distract ourselves and, therefore, do not completely focus on the trouble around us. We are not meant to focus on one thing to the exclusion of all else. The ability to keep busy and do various things is healthy. What are you spending most of your time doing these days? Chances are we all need a to do list. If you have kids at home, your to do list is pretty much already set. We need variety!
Most importantly, pay attention to your thinking.
Most importantly, pay attention to your thinking. I recently shared a word with a close friend: catastrophizing. It means to take a situation and make it far worse than it really is. The opposite is to minimize, which is to treat something as less than it is. Both of these positions miss the present reality. Do not let your thinking get the best of you by falling victim to one of these two extreme forms of unhealthy thinking.
Finally, Paul gives some great insight for such a time as this. Think about what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable and praiseworthy and know that God is with you.
Bon Appétit.
Brian is the Counseling Minister at Hendersonville Church of Christ. He and his wife, Amy, married in 1979 and have two children and four grandchildren. He is a native of West Virginia and loves the outdoors. For the past several years has made annual trips fishing for walleye and smallmouth in Ontario, Canada.
