It was three years ago this week that everything changed. The world suddenly shut down. I remember thinking it would all be over in three weeks. Boy, was I wrong. I look forward to the day when we don’t have to reference everything as pre or post covid.

While most of us would like to forget all the issues and problems associated with covid in the last few years, it is good to take time for a bit of reflection. Here are three things that can help.

1. Count your losses. We all experienced losses and it was painful. Some of it still stings. Losses include family celebrations, missed travel & holiday plans, job stress and lost income. Even the loss of loved ones who passed away. The list is personal and endless. It’s important to acknowledge the things that the covid crisis took from us.
2. Count the gains. I’m not sure I have spent much time thinking about these. Were there gains? Yes. The busy schedule of several nights out a week changed and I was home. More family time and less hectic pace. The opportunity to pick up a hobby or do more reading, gardening and baking bread. We gained insight into our world and how fragile it can be. Despite painful moments, we had some good times as well.
3. Keep the good. When the children of Israel returned from exile, they were very different people. God had used the time in Babylon to strip away the things they didn’t need. There was a new focus and devotion to God and his Word. They embraced a new identity and started to live it out.

What are some of the ‘good things’ which you need to keep in place as we move forward? As Jeremiah writes after the fall of Jerusalem, “Let’s take a good look at the way we’re living and reorder our lives under God.” (Lamentations 3:40) It’s been hard to not consider how the last three years have impacted our relationship with God. Have we drawn closer? Have we seen how fragile our world is? Have we placed all our trust in him?

I have lots of questions about the last three years but this I know, it’s a great opportunity to consider the way I’m living and make sure that my life is reordered under God.