This week I was talking with friends about how life is in Brazil, we are still in quarantine and I wondered about what I have learned during this moment.
Before lockdown I was planning a lot of things to do on my own and other things with friends. I’ve gotten flight tickets to spend my holidays in other countries; I was planning to visit friends during my last month in England. But, in March I saw all my plans changing. Life turned upside down.
My first month in Brazil was really hard. I was happy because I could see my family, but I was down as well. I didn’t have my job and plans anymore. But this is life. Sometimes life just changes, and we need to be ready to adapt ourselves, rethink, relearn.
“We can make our own plans, but the LORD gives the right answer.”
Proverbs 16:1
I didn’t have control of the situation, so what could I do? I’ve learned to see circumstances in a good way. I can’t stop coronavirus, but I can use this time to be close to my family. Sometimes we spend more time with other people and we forget our family. My mother isn’t working, so we are cooking together. Normally, my brother and I didn’t use to spend time together, but now we are closer. I have more free time, so I am doing things that before I would like but I couldn’t, for example: reading books, good chat with friends and family.
There is a verse in Proverbs that helped me to think about making plans: “We can make our own plans, but the LORD gives the right answer.” Proverbs 16:1
I still plan things, but I am learning to keep my eyes in my present and spending my energy doing things with my family, chatting with friends. I’m not worried about what my life will look like in six months.
I’m trying to see the good side of our situation and use it in my own benefit. How can I improve? What things can I do to help people in my church through this hard time? How can I be in contact with young people in my church?
I was more worried about the future than I was with my present. I’ve learned that there are not a lot of things I’m able to do about the future, so I need to fix my eyes in my present. Jesus said something about it: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34
We can make plans, but we need to be opened to adjust ourselves if something happens. And most importantly, we need to be aware of all opportunities that life is bringing to us today.
And what Have you learned?
Take care
Karen Vassalo
