A Drift of Quills for April 2020

A Time for Encouragement

April Fools Day came and went with nary a joke. These are indeed, difficult times. Even so, we Quills have found things to be grateful for, things that encourage us. Today we'd like to share with you, some of those things. Hopefully, along the way, we will encourage you. So here we go!

Parker, you shared a poem recently with Robin Lythgoe and me. It was just what I needed that day. What have you for us, and for our readers, today?

I'm thankful. Thankful it's Spring. Thankful it's April. Every day brings new life. We dig in the dirt. The boys collect bugs and worms. We tend to a garden that has slept well all Winter, and is ready to wake as Spring sings it awake. I have more time at home, as many do, and I find opportunity to catch up on projects and chores that have waited patiently ...

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Robin Lythgoe, notwithstanding all the issues that life has set before you, you continue to encourage me with your sense of humor and your practical means of handling things. What have you for me and for our readers today in the way of encouragement?

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I’ll bet your email box and social media feeds look a lot like mine: they’re full of news and information about COVID-19. It’s easy to get lost in all the noise! But as the weeks have gone by, I’ve seen a subtle change. A beautiful change…

And now for my part ...

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There is nothing like a pandemic to bring out the best in some people and things. Here is a list of ten things that over the past weeks have encouraged me and/or for which I have found myself most grateful. With the exception of No. 1, they are not in any particular order of importance.

10. Our leaders keep us informed on a daily basis of the situation and what each of us can do to help ourselves and others. We can choose to listen or to remain in the dark, but information is available to us (which is much more than many people around the world can say).

9. Businesses of all kinds have stepped up to manufacture much-needed goods and equipment and to get those products to those in need in record time.

8. Scientists are making daily discoveries about this virus, and are proposing the means to treat it in record time. (Every evening when I retire, I thank God that we are one day closer to an answer to this virus.) Recent scientific findings have allowed for true heroes—in the shape of those willing to be test subjects—to step forth. I read a story one day about a vaccine in testing. A volunteer stepped up to receive it, after which she would be exposed, intentionally, to the virus so as to see how it would work. Wow. Just … wow ...

7. Healthcare workers on the front line report to work each day, notwithstanding the risks to themselves and their own. 

6. People are becoming aware of weaknesses in our system with respect to our dependence on other parties that are possibly unfriendly to us, and with regard to how we respond to the movement of people and goods. With this awareness, hopefully in the future, we will take action to correct problematic situations for the future.

5. Families and friends are able to stay in contact with one another through the internet, social media sites, by cell phone, and so on. It wasn’t that long ago when a situation like this would have left most of us largely alone and in the dark, and without information about those we love the most, but that is not the case today. (Fortunately, to date, my family and loved ones are all well. I hope the same is true for you.)

4. As the days pass, I find more people discovering a playful side to their nature, as they find humor in little unexpected places and things, and as they stay in touch (remotely and virtually) with their families, friends and other loved ones.

3. There is an increased awareness of our interdependence on one another and on the importance that various parties play. In many cases, people are showing gratitude to those who, too often, are overlooked. Today less focus is set on sports figures and celebrity entertainers, and more focus is directed toward truckers, clerks, mechanics, farmers, security personnel, and so on.

2. OK, this one is odd and very close to home, but I have to include it … Personally, I’ve discovered the benefits of CBD oil. Honestly, I do not know where I’d have been over these past weeks without it. I do have a tendency to be anxious (and even worse). This simple product has provided me with incredible relief and with better sleep. (If you are interested in a great source for a great product, let me know!)
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1. The number one best thing I can share—which actually is so incredible that it is above the chart itself, and that is this: God is still on the throne and in control. I find comfort in His word. Here are just a few of the many versus that have encouraged me, of late:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Jeremiah 29:11.

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Matthew 19:26.

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.  Psalm 56:3.

Also, I just found this on YouTube. I thought I would share it with you.

How about you? What things are you most grateful for these days? What things encourage you? Please, do share!