Perspective

Lockdown Reflections

I’m sure it’s safe to say lockdown has been an emotional rollercoaster for most of us, there’s been good days and bad days. There’s been so many different things going on in our lives that have been draining (including the pressure to constantly be available for school/work/video calls) since we were at home all the time until restrictions lessened recently.

Something I’ve been thinking about throughout lockdown is perspective… It’s easy to get caught up in the negativity of the situation and feel overwhelmed by it, and that also includes the restrictions lifting, that might feel daunting the thought of going back to normal, but what if we choose to see things from a different perspective? What if we choose to see things from God’s perspective?

Photo by Bud Helisson on Unsplash

At the start of lockdown, life was pretty chaotic (it may well still be for some people), so many things seem out of focus/lack clarity, but God sees things clearly and knows the end from the beginning. 

1 Corinthians 12:13 (The Message)

We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

We only see in part, but we can pray and ask for God’s perspective… the more we get to know God, the more we can see things from His perspective, we can have hope for the future, knowing that God is in control, He is our strength and in Him we find our peace… we can choose to lift our eyes to Jesus and have a different perspective – a more positive outlook… to choose joy where we find ourselves. 

Lockdown has reminded me that despite the chaos of the world around us, it’s ok to look for moments of joy. The joy of the Lord is our strength and He wants us to find joy, even in the little things (as well as the bigger things). 

You might have found joy in the change in pace of life during lockdown, time with family, great weather we had last month, a Zoom call with family/friends, film/TV show, playing a musical instrument, being creative (whatever that looks like for you), reading a book or going out for a walk and listening to a podcast or some good music … it might be a picture that your brother or sister has drawn for you. I know I’ve found joy going for social distanced walks in the park with friends. 

Whatever it is, it’s worth choosing to find joy in your day, it helps shift your perspective from all that’s in the news or on Social Media.

Inspired by the lyrics from Choose Life featured in Trainspotting (most of you are probably too young to have seen the film but you might have heard the song), I’ve re-written them albeit imperfectly… joy and creativity doesn’t have to be perfect (sometimes sharing your imperfect creativity encourages/inspires other people to be creative too).

What will you choose?

Choose joy.
Choose family.
Choose rest.
Choose how you spend your time.

Choose a positive mindset
Choose creativity and music,
Spotify or iTunes, and Beats headphones.
Choose good health, exercise and self-care.

Choose a home.
Choose a community of like-minded yet diverse people,
Choose your friends.

Choose talking to your neighbours.
Choose gratitude 
For the small as well as the big things we have to be thankful for.
Choose to send a message to someone you miss on a Sunday morning.

Choose going outside and looking around you,
Look at the buildings, the sky, the people.
Take time to notice something you haven’t before.

Choose to see things as they could be,
Choose to hope for a better future
Choose to be the change, a change from what we’ve seen,
Our generation, the next generation

We can do better, they can do better…

Choose your future… Choose hope… Choose joy.

Wherever you find yourself on the lockdown emotional rollercoaster, a shift in perspective is sometimes what we need to change our mood and feel more positive. 

I hope that you’re able to see God in the midst of it all, to find peace and to choose joy in the little things. 

Written by Gill Carruthers, Glasgow Scotland.