Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the sun.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have more time on our hands than we’ve ever had before due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  As I’m writing this my children’s school has been postponed for 3 weeks. Restaurants, bars, clubs, and gyms have been shut down.  All elective surgery and dental procedures have been cancelled.  There are no live sporting events to go to or watch on TV, no nail salons or beauty parlors to visit and no movie theaters to go to.  What are you going to do with your time?

Here are a few suggestions from Ecclesiastes in the Bible.  Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 starts out by saying, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the sun.”  It goes on to say:

Verse 2: A time to plant and a time to uproot. (you could work on your lawn)

Verse 3: A time to tear down and a time to build. (you could start a project.  I had my son build this desk I’m using right now)

Verse 4: A time to weep and a time to laugh. (you could watch movies on the Hallmark channel)

Verse 5: A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them. (you could go to the park, find some rocks and skip them on the water)

Verse 6: A time to keep and a time to throw away. (you could go through the clothes in your closet and remove the ones you no longer wear)

Verse 7: A time to be silent and a time to speak. (you could call, Facetime or set up a free Zoom meeting with your family and friends to keep in touch)

Verse 8: A time for love and a time for hate. (you can show love to the people that are being most effected by this pandemic and you can hate what it is doing to our community)

There are more lines to this Bible passage, but I think you get where I am going with this.  This is the time and season for you to connect with your family and friends.  There are few distractions and you have lots of time.  Make the most out of your situation. 

And remember, in Psalm 133:1 it says, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.”  This might be the right time for you to take a lawn chair, sit in front of your home and say hello to people as they walk by.  Get to know your neighbor.  You can live in unity and still remain 6 feet apart. 

Dear Father, thank you for the opportunity to slow down and connect with my people.  Please give wisdom to our leaders, strength to our medical community, and grace to our neighbors that are frightened.  Our hope is in you.  Amen.