Keep Loving

Doesn’t a Chick Fil A breakfast sandwich sound amazing right about now?

I felt inspired to write about love this morning, went to find a picture (usually it’s the other way around, the picture comes first) and the first picture to pop up was a Chick Fil A chicken biscuit HEART. So, Yeah. There’s that.

I don’t even know what to think about the world right now. It’s confusing and heart breaking and overwhelming. We are all out of our normal routine, in this for the long haul, and struggling to find a new “normal.” While the numbers of the sick and dying are climbing, the rest of us are quarantined – suddenly unemployed, or working from home. Or working from home and homeschooling children. Those that go to work are facing unique stress in dealing with the chance of coming in contact with COVID-19 on a daily basis.

Everyone is stressed right now. Everyone is hurting in some way.

All I can think is… keep loving.

Keep loving, friends. Keep loving on your family, your friends, and people you don’t know. We all desperately need it.

Love on the government and people in charge by praying for them. Their job is hard and there is a lot of pressure on them right now. Is the best interest of the people what they are looking out for? I don’t know. But pray for them anyway.

Love on the workers out there. Thank them for the job they are doing. Compliment them. The drive through workers, the grocery workers, the online delivery people, the postal officers – everyone who is doing a job, facing the chance of getting sick – love on them. Tip them. Leave them a treat. Speak kindly to them. Smile at them. Encourage them. I’m sure they are very thankful to still have a job right now. But it’s still very scary and overwhelming right now as well. Love on them, friends.

Love on your teachers. I’m not just saying this because I am one. (Or am I?) If you knew how much work we are putting in right now… Going virtual in one week was no easy task. Teaching virtually from home… we are working harder than we did when we were in the physical school building and it’s hard. And many of us are teaching our own kids as well. It’s hard to set boundaries and it’s hard… well, it’s just hard. Love on the teachers. Thank them for what they are doing. Show them appreciation. Understand that they are doing their best. Encourage them. Be kind to them.

Love on your friends. Send them messages and emails and call them and write them letters and zoom chat them… it’s hard not seeing each other! It’s easy to slip into depression being stuck at home. If you don’t hear from a friend for a few days, get on it! Don’t let them quietly slip into away. Reach in and pull them back out. Love them by not letting them hide away in solitude. Get them on the phone and each of you take a walk while chatting. Be creative since you can’t actually go to each other’s house. It will be harder, but we need each other now. Desperately. Check on each other often. Love your friends hard.

Love your family. You’re stuck with them indefinitely in your house. Use extra patience when you need to. Look for ways to be together in different ways. What kinds of things can you do outside together? Tell your family you love them every day. Even when you’re frustrated with them. Especially then. Just keep loving.

Keep loving and loving and loving.

Check out this video – A virtual Orchestra that came together during this Pandemic to share the song “What the World Needs Now is Love”