057: Relational Goodness in Times of Crisis

Hello everyone and welcome to today’s episode where today we reflect on the impact the coronavirus is having on our relationships. There’s no shortage of information about the virus itself. How it’s affecting our physical health, advice how to take care of our self, the impact on the economy, and the disruption in our normal daily life.

I don’t want to talk about any of that. Instead, I want to talk about what I mentioned in my Every Wednesday email from last week where I asked listeners to share with me examples of anything positive they have seen coming out of the coronavirus health crisis we are in. I asked for specific, concrete stories , anything that someone saw, heard, or experienced that would encourage people.

So today’s episode is all about the positive, all about the goodness found in the challenging times we are in.

So here’s the first response:

A listener by the name of David writes:

“I have been working from home and have been able to see my daughter more than usual and have witnessed firsthand how hard Brittney works as a stay at home mom! It has been a blessing to have this time with them and not rush out the door every morning. “

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From a listener who wishes to remain anonymous:

* My wife called both our elderly widowed neighbors just to check in and make sure they had what they needed and were doing OK; they were surprisingly calm and offered to share their supplies if we needed anything

* My wife has also been sharing (digitally) devotional teachings with friends from our gym who are struggling with anxiety

* I purposely have gone out several times in the past few days to the grocery stores, Starbucks, etc. and observing people thanking grocery workers for serving people

In our ministry we're ramping up our efforts this week just to check in with as many of our donors as possible, just to make sure they're doing OK and have some relational connect, and people seem grateful to be hearing from people (of all the negatives of digital media, the ability to stay connected relationally even when not able to physically seems to be an unexpected blessing)
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I came across the following Facebook post recently:

"Many years ago, a student asked the anthropologist Margaret Mead what she considered to be the first sign of civilization in a culture.The student expected that she would talk about hooks, clay pots or cave art.

But no. She said that the first sign of civilization in an ancient culture was a broken and healed femur.

Mead explained that in the animal kingdom, if you break your leg, you die. You can't run from danger, go to the river to drink water or hunt food.

You are fresh meat for predators. No animal survives a broken leg long enough for the bone to heal.

A broken femur that healed is evidence that someone had time to stay with the one who fell, treated the wound, took the person to safety and took care of her until she recovered.

'Helping someone during difficulty is where civilization begins', said Mead."
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Help for the anxious.

People who struggle with anxiety during less stressful times than we are in now, have most likely broken their worry-meter from over use at the present time.

But someone has developed something that could very well help them. It’s a YouTube Video with Bible verses that deal with anxiety. It’s 2 hours and 43 minutes of a woman with a very soothing voice simply reciting Bible verses that speak to the issue of worry and anxiety. The verses are repeated, but there are enough of them, you barely notice they’re looped to last over 2 hours.

In the background you hear and see a waterfall. It’s very calming. It may open with an ad, but just click on the “skip ads” button you’ll see.

https://youtu.be/1E3ytLd7uJA

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Single people

From a Facebook Group for missionary caregivers I found this post:

“If you are on the field, and needing to self isolate due to Coronavirus; kindly remember to check in on the singles among you. There is a stark difference between isolating with a spouse (and possibly children) than isolating alone.
Singles, be sure to reach out to others through your preferred means of communication. Others cannot meet needs if they are not aware of them. 14 or more days without contact with others is not good for anyone.

May God bless all. This COVID-19 is a tremendous opportunity to let the world around us to see the love of Christ through us. May He, and He alone be glorified.”
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Business

ConvertKit, an email service provider similar to Mail Chimps. Set up a $50,000 fund to help their small business clients whose businesses have taken a nose dive because the impact of the virus on our economy.

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BUSINESS

Ask yourself, “What does this make possible?” ~ Michael Hyatt

“What new products or services are possible in this context? What efficiencies can be gained from having a remote team? What can I accomplish with the time gained from travel or event cancellations?

Start thinking about possibilities, and they will begin to appear. "

The same can be said about our relationships. During these unusual times of social distancing, What does this make possible in our relationships? Start thinking about the possibilities and they will appear.
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Peggy Noonan “Declarations” Column, March 21, 2020, Wall Street Journal, “We Need Time to Absorb All This.”

She won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for commentary

Has been writing this Saturday morning column since 2000; living in New York City

Read my edited version of her article

Love her “an attitude for the journey:” Trust in God first and always. Talk to him.

Click here to read her unedited column.
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If you forget everything else from today’s episode, here’s the one thing I hope you remember. Our show in a sentence

Every challenge we face has embedded within it a choice. With Covid-19, we can choose to wring our hands, retreat, and just wait things out in fear. Or we can choose to taken advantage of opportunities to strengthen our relationships with people.

Here’s what you can do in response to today’s show.

We can look for the goodness in people, we can make them laugh, we can check in on them to let them know they’re not alone in all this. We can choose to bring out the best in ourselves.

We can choose to follow Peggy Noonan’s advice: “Trust in God first and always. Talk to him”

I’d love to hear about how this goes for you. Feel free to send an email to me, john@caringforothers.org, or share your thoughts in the “Leave a Reply” box at the bottom of the show notes.

Closing

I hope your thinking was stimulated by today’s show, to both reflect and to act. So that you will find the joy God intends for you through your relationships. Because after all, You Were Made for This.

Now for Our Relationship Quote of the Week

I’m going with the comment from Peggy Noonan’s column, and embrace her attitude and make it true for me too. It’s the last line in her article:

I just want to get out and help in some way. Isn’t that what you feel? We all just want to pitch in.

That’s all for today. See you next week. Bye for now.

Resources mentioned in today’s show

“Bible Verses for Anxiety and Worry -  https://youtu.be/1E3ytLd7uJA

Peggy Noonan's "We Need Time to Absorb All This"