What is Your Attitude/Mindset During Covid-19?

What is your attitude, your mindset, during these strange days of Corona-19?

There is a Swedish proverb that says “those who wish to sing always find a song.” There is also this quote from Abe Lincoln that many of us have heard for decades. “Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” I want to be upbeat, cheerful, positive, optimistic and confident in my Lord that things are going to get better. But while we are still limited in travel, work, church attendance and even recreation, what are you focusing on? I have been home, during the day, more in the last month than ever in my life. My guess is that you have also. What are you doing to grow? How are you spending your time? Are you watching the five-minute updates on your cable channel which are most always negative, or spending time productively? Are you looking for your song because you like to sing? You can take that literally or metaphorically. My “honey-do list” is getting shorter with the projects I’ve been able to work on. My time with the Lord has gotten sweeter if that is possible. These are crazy times but I have a trust in the Lord that everything is fine in the Father’s House. Does that make me nuts? I don’t think so. It simply means, if God is in control (and He is) then nothing will happen that God doesn’t allow, which is very comforting. Let’s begin each day with a great attitude, looking for silver linings in the storm clouds. Let me share a story written by a Dr. Garfield many years ago in one of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books. I’ll paraphrase the story to keep it shorter.

If you have every gone through a toll booth, you realize that the relationship between you and the toll booth attendant isn’t that personal. You hand the attendant your money and drive off. On one section of Interstate in San Francisco there are 17 toll booths. Every day, I pass through one of them. One morning, I was running late, so I chose a lane that looked less backed up. I had already lowered my window and immediately I began to hear music, loud music. It sounded like a concert or a party. I looked around, none of the other cars had their windows down. I zeroed in on the location. It was coming from inside the toll booth. The attendant was dancing. “What are you doing?” “I’m having a party. I’m dancing” the attendant said. “What about the rest of these people in the other toll booths?” “They’re not invited.” Dr. Garfield wanted to ask some more questions but the people behind him began honking their horn. He said to himself, “I’ve got to find this guy again. There is something magic in that toll booth.” Months passed and the good doctor finally found him again. The music was still blaring out of the toll booth. Again, he asked, “What are you doing?” The attendant replied, “I remember you from the last time. I’m still dancing. I’m still having the same party.” Dr. Garfield asked, “What about all those other people?” (the other toll attendants). The attendant said, “Look, what do those look like to you?” pointing to the other booths. “Toll booths?” “Noooo imagination!” the man replied. “Okay, I give up. What do they look like to you?” The young man answered, “Vertical coffins.” “What do you mean?” the doc asked with a puzzled look. The attendant responded, “I can prove it. Every morning at 8:30, live people get in them. Then they die for eight hours. At 4:30 they emerge like Lazarus from the grave. For eight hours their brains are on hold, they’re dead on the job.” The doctor was amazed at the thinking of this attendant. The young man responded before the doctor could say anything. “I am going to be a dancer one day. My bosses are paying me for my training.”

Isn’t that an amazing outlook? What about you and me? The Bible tells us in Proverbs 23:7, “As a man thinketh in his heart so is he.” Let’s think biblically. We need to have the attitude that God is on top of this situation. Come join me. I intend to find me a song to sing. I intend to be joyful in the Lord. I intend to grow closer to the Lord during this crazy time. Being a Christian is fantastic. We get Heaven as our eternal home and the blessings of God while we are on the journey. Let’s enjoy the Lord together.