Deja vu… COVID times two

The unwelcome symptoms were eerily familiar. High fever. Loss of appetite. NO energy. My-head’s-about-to-explode headaches. Only this time I wasn’t in the comfort of my own home. We were in another country, in a hotel.

Once we got back home, there was the familiar nose-swab, wait, and then see if anything shows up routine that confirmed what I dreaded: I tested positive for COVID. And then two days later, my husband also tested positive. Misery loves company, right?! We both had been vaccinated three years ago. We both had had COVID three years ago after being vaccinated — at least at different times that first go-round, which made caring for one another easier. Thankfully, this time his case was “mild.” Mine, on the other hand, took almost three weeks until I felt like my old self.

This deja vu experience evoked memories of what life was like during the height of the pandemic…

Our son was managing a restaurant in southern California back then. A peaceful protest against COVID restrictions unfortunately morphed into looting and destruction. A jewelry store across the street from his restaurant was looted. Another shop in the same block was burned down. There were some shootings. As a result, the restaurant closed as a precautionary measure.

“I’m OK.”

When we received an email from our son with “I’m OK” in the subject line this mother’s heart leapt for joy! How thankful we were that he took the initiative to check in with us!

His response reminded me of how one Sunday our pastor shared that the pandemic may change who we see as heroes. He asked,

How much do we value service/serving others?

Do we see serving others as being heroic?

He went on to develop the idea that our service is, indeed, an outflow of our LOVE for God and others. It doesn’t necessarily need to be the large, more visible things, but the “hidden,” small things… like guarding the reputation of others, common courtesy, being served/allowing others to use their gifts to serve you, hospitality, listening, bearing one another’s burdens, intercession, sharing the word of life with one another (from Richard Foster).

When our son took the initiative to check in with us he was showing common courtesy. He was serving us by showing his care. He was giving us the opportunity to bear his burden. In other words, his “service” to us was reflecting his love for us… and in my book, that’s being a hero!

Having COVID again has reminded me that there were some crucial lessons that surfaced during those days… lessons I don’t want to forget. And one of those is to be intentional in taking the initiative to check in with others… just to see how they’re doing. To offer a listening ear. To discern what’s really going on beneath the surface/beyond their words or actions. To seek ways to offer help.

It’s often the little things, the “hidden” things that communicate powerfully, so don’t underestimate what a kind word or an unexpected text or fill in the blank can mean to someone!

How might YOU take the initiative to serve someone today? This week? As we do this, I’m confident it will enable us to have joy in the journey of this thing called “Life!”