Calamities vs Opportunities

“Shelter at home? Don’t go out unless it is absolutely necessary? Let someone else buy groceries? Use the drive-through to buy my prescriptions?” And now my pastor preaches on line instead of in the pulpit. What’s more, he says we are supposed to consider these times opportunities instead of calamities.

The first time I went to the bank after the shelter at home order, I was shocked to find the door locked. There was a line at the drive-through, but. I always go inside. It’s more personal. Now I’ve learned to use the drive through.
Ok, so now that I’m focused on finding the opportunities and utilizing them, what are they?

1. I spend less money. Since I drive less, I use less gas. And since I make a list and order only the groceries I need, I don’t buy on impulse. Of course, I miss some good deals too.

2. I save time. It takes less time to make a list than it takes to go to the store. That means I have more time to work on my book. It even means I may have time to read somebody else’s book. As I walk in my neighborhood, I see what other people are doing with their extra time. And I see lots of people out redesigning their yards and gardens. I have a friend, Roxana Ericsson, who has redecorated her house during this time. I even know young people who couldn’t find work before, but they have found jobs now.

3. I’m getting to know my neighbors. Since we aren’t all running from appointment to appointment and meeting to meeting, we sit on our front porches in the evenings—six feet apart, of course. And we visit. We talk about our children, our hobbies, what we used to do before the pandemic and what we’d like to do when it’s over.

I’m not saying times aren’t hard. I know that people have lost jobs and some people are sick and going hungry. I pray for them. However, like everything else, when we look for the opportunities, we usually find them. And when we thank God for them, just like flowers, they pop up in unexpected places.