It seems like we are all feeling quite fatigued with this whole pandemic right now. With such beautiful holidays approaching, it is difficult to imagine the loss, once again, of our festive family traditions.
It just became official this week that my mom and sister will not be with us for our annual Thanksgiving mountain getaway. Of course, that’s the right decision. We shouldn’t risk cross contamination between households, but it is no less disappointing.
On top of that, as the COVID cases increase, we face greater risks of the extreme measures we had to take last spring. Let’s all pause to pray for the many families who risk losing so much if businesses have to close again. Let’s also pray for those who contract this terrible virus and especially those who lose loved ones.
We continue to grieve for the loss of blessed events like weddings and family vacations and birthday parties …and yes, our holiday traditions. How can we face it all without giving up hope?
There is just one way. Jesus is my hope. I keep my eyes ever fixed on the Lord, and I know it will be okay. In fact, it will be better than okay. In God’s way and in God’s time, everything will be perfect, just as God is perfect.
Well, in the interest of full disclosure, I might be overstating my optimism a bit. Of course I also have those moments when it all seems so bleak.
But, I think I learned one secret to minimizing the sadness and maximizing the optimism. I have been surrounding myself with voices of faith. In the last couple months, I found a whole collection of Catholic podcasts, and I follow a few Catholic bloggers.
These voices inspire me and, more importantly, give me hope. I’ll share some of my favorites some day soon, but it might be better to just start searching and let the Holy Spirit guide you to the message you need to hear.