Today is the day that I am launching this website/blog. I have been working at it a little at a time, trying to wait until everything is perfect. But when will everything be perfect again? When has everything ever been perfect? What was I waiting for really?

Apparently today IS the day.  I’ve read and re-read each and every blog post numerous times, so much so that I probably can’t even detect the typos any longer. So, please be very forgiving as you read through. I had been talking off and on with the photographer about the “After” photos and then along came Covid-19, the coronavirus. So, all I have to show are the “Before” pictures. The pictures that I’ve taken with my cell phone. It’s not what I had intended to present to the “world”. I guess you could say that I’ve been caught unprepared, not quite ready for the reveal. But I absolutely cannot wait one more day. Please please please check back later to see the “Afters”. I think you will like them.

Today, it is what it is and you get to see my “Befores”.  What are yours? What are your “Befores”?

I haven’t written anything about the virus until now. There is already so much communication out there about it, I didn’t feel that I needed to add to the conversation on this platform. Of course, I’ve had a lot to say about it to family and friends, and I’ve skipped all around it on this blog.

So let’s talk.

What were we doing before we realized Covid-19 existed? Were we moving rapidly through each day, doing what we do considering how our actions affected others? Or were running around like a race horse with blinders on as if we were the only ones that really mattered? Did we care that they wiped the seat of the booth, then wiped the table using the same cloth? Or did we let it slide hoping that it wasn’t a big deal? Did we faithfully go to the gym multiple times a week like we promised ourselves at midnight on December 31st? 

Or did we go a few times then slip back into our old habits slouched on the sofa? Were we diligently working to improve our business plan so that we could operate with  a more successful business model, or did we put that on the back burner also? Did we take time to look deep inside ourselves and evaluate the type of person we’ve become, or did we just decide that everyone else must be the problem? Did we stop and smell the roses, spend quality time with family and appreciate the gifts God has given us, or did we just figure that they know that we love them without us ever consciously showing and telling them? Did we start the year out with daily readings of uplifting morning devotionals only to find that after a week or so of pressing/hitting snooze a couple of times,  we barely had enough time to shower and get to work, let alone sit quietly to read anything?

So here we are in the midst of quarantine or under “stay at home” orders. Here we are with nothing but time on our hands, time to look around to see where and who we really are? Who have we become? What kind of people are we? Do we love one another or has it all become a big competition? I do realize that since ancient times, for the most part it has been about survival of the fittest. But I hope that, as a “civilized” nation, as our pace has been halted, that we will take the time to get to know ourselves and our families. That we will take the time to love people for who they are and not judge them just because they are different than us. I hope that we will at least use the common sense and the wisdom that God has given us to read between the lines of division and conflict. Can we not see that we are being used against one another? We are on this earth together and we’re in this situation together.  In Abraham Lincoln’s 1858 speech, he said “A house divided against itself, cannot stand…” Lincoln was referring to slavery vs freedom. Long before that, the following quote was found in Matthew 12:25: “And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.” So, if you’re feeling hatred or contempt toward someone, please stop and think about what is the basis for those feelings. Are the thoughts and feelings based on something you’ve personally experienced, or are they founded upon preconceived notions that have been passed down through the generations or even worse, passed across from family, friends, and co-workers?

During this slow down, let’s take full advantage of the opportunities to show love and compassion for one another. We all should realize by now that our “After” is going to be much different than our “Before”. But the question is, will WE be different? Will WE be better? Just as we become more aware of our safety and sanitation, are we becoming more aware that we are all just people with blood running through our veins? If you are the recipient of a blood transfusion in a life or death situation, are you going to stop the doctor or technician to inquire of the race or culture of the donor? Probably not. Your only concern should be that the blood is free of contaminants and disease. Its time to recognize that the ongoing war should not be with each other. The war is against the virus, an unseen wicked principality. Our energy should be redirected toward surviving and helping one another come out on top, and our “After” should be better than our “Before”. When I’ve spent countless hours on a project, whether its a house or a DIY project, I expect that it is going to look better and will be in better condition than when I began. You’d be upset if after paying for a makeover and the “After” picture looked the same or worse than the “Before”. You would request a refund. If you haven’t given this any thought before now, please don’t wait any longer. Don’t waste anymore time. We are all paying for this makeover. Some people are paying with their lives or the lives of their family members, others are paying with their education, jobs and businesses. There is no refund or return policy. But wait, maybe there is a policy and the policy dictates that we cannot return to normal. We have to stand up and be who we were created to be and love and give the way we were created to.

I leave you with this, “What is your “After”?”