Closed Doors Mean Open Opportunities - Help Others

Our partner, Saint Paulus, sent out an email blast to their members yesterday. Just because doors must be kept closed doesn't mean opportunities can't be widened. Being at home may seem like a novelty at first, but after a few days, the confinement starts to talk a toll. Not just to stretch your legs, but break away from the overinflated media and see if there's anything you can do to pay forward. Here's what Saint Paulus sent out. We advise you to click their subscribe link and sign up to weekly emails:

*Let Us Turn Back Time*

 

The media has incited this pandemic into pandemonium purely for advertising gain…and they won. Yet think to yourself - how many of us have seen looting, gun wars, street fights and riots? Most likely none of us. How many of us have seen communities singing and group exercising from their apartment balconies? Most of us. How many celebrities have started to quote excerpts from the Old and New Testament? Surprisingly, quite a few. How many have read that Israelis are already preparing for tomorrow's Shabbat, most of who usually spend Saturdays on the beach or at the malls? Did you know that Israel's nearly 9 million Jews, Christians and Muslims are shutting down for the weekend…and praying.

The economy is in a temporary bad state, the media is yet again spinning more out of control…but most importantly, humanity seems to have taken the compassionate and prayer route. We’ve all realized that we have no power. Only God has that. So we’ve succumbed.

From walking around San Francisco the past two days, the city is full of calm people catching up on possibly long overdue chats, skateboarders are enjoying the roads to themselves and stunningly, across the globe, heavily polluted cities are now witnessing their first blue skies in many years since transportation was banned. It feels like the planet’s reverted back to a few decades past when everyone lived simpler lives. It feels like the 1970’s all over again.

So let us, as the amazing Saint Paulus Lutheran Church community, embrace the clock that’s currently in the past and turn lemons into lemonade. Because we all move forward, together, when we pay back. Here are a few suggestions that everyone can participate in, so we’re helping others: The poverty, elderly, ones that aren’t coping with home confinement:

Feed The Poor: The homeless are being hit just as hard. Food resources are low since there’s smaller foot traffic and daily meal programs have stopped. If you can get out your home, make up a food bag (sandwiches, bag of rice etc.) and hand it six feet from a homeless person. Have extra bars of soap? Hand them out. Their gratitude will make your heart sing. Not only will you exercise, you’ll know you helped the homeless in more ways than you can imagine.


Phone Someone: You may have an elderly relative, neighbor or friend. They might be riding out home confinement quite well, but they may not be. The only way to find out is by calling, Facetiming or Skyping them. Lend an ear, listen to them, make them laugh, trade stories. Keep the conversation going. Even 30 minutes of a daily chin-wag will be good for both your spiritual well-being.


Volunteer Groups: Various thoughtful people on Nextdoor.com have individually created support groups whereby you can join, and be assigned a task. Whether it’s picking up groceries or medication for someone who can’t get out or walking an elderly person’s dog. Join the group, tell them which area you live in and they’ll be in touch with very simple, yet important pay forward tasks. Also check out Project Open Hand for volunteer jobs.


Over Shoppers: We all know many people hoarded, by buying out supermarket shelves while not considering others that sensible shopped. If you have extra supplies you seriously don’t need, post them on NextDoor.com, Facebook, Twitter, Craigslist.com or email your local friends. If you can afford to give these items away, then do so. If you can’t, then sell them at the same price you purchased them for. The guilt of hoarding will be replaced with the knowledge that you saw your error, and fixed it.


Feed Your Soul: Pray, pray and pray. The Torah and New Testament are living, breathing scriptures and are always timely for today. Pick up your Bible and read, find commonalities in what you’re experiencing to our ancestors, and fall back in love with the Bible again. If this is the one time when the world needs God to help, it’s today. Speak to Him, build your personal relationship with Him and ask Him to give you what you need, right here and now. He’s always listening and has waited a LONG time for us to collectively talk to Him, daily.

The media only wins when they can capitalize on drama, controversy, crisis and mayhem. They don’t win when there’s peace, surrendering, praying, helping others and we’re in a kinder state of mind so aren’t obsessing over the news. Being up so speed on the news is important but please minimize this to a few minutes twice a day…and start to live your new change of lifestyle instead. It’s better for the soul and connects you even more to God. One day, everyone will know why this happened to us. For now, don’t question the ‘why,’ just question which philanthropic feat you’ll be doing today, from the above list.

If you have other list suggestions, please email these to us.
We’ll also post this on our Facebook page so you can comment there.

Amen.