3 Reactionary Mistakes I Made To The COVID-19 Pandemic

There was smoke coming from the oven, as I ran over to save the pizza I was baking it didn’t occur to me what would happen next. I opened up the door, and immediately fire roared out. Taken aback, I was able to reach our mini fire extinguisher under our sink and put out the fire. The only damage was a burnt pizza and a dirty kitchen. Catastrophe avoided.

These past few weeks have been crazy, and there are still so many people trying to respond to the situation. I like to be proactive, I’m a fixer, and I hate sitting still. Once schools and parishes began to close down, I hopped into action. While I look at last week amazed by how much I did, I also realized I made some mistakes like:

IGNORED ALL BOUNDARIES

Instead of taking the time to develop a routine, I would get up, go to my computer and sit there until dinner. After a little family time with my kids, I went back to the computer until I was fried, went to my couch, streamed Seinfeld, and would pass out in front of the television. While I did get a lot done, I found the constant work wasn’t healthy, and I was ignoring my kids and other household responsibilities. I had become a 24/7 machine.

During times of chaos, you need to set up boundaries, or you’ll stretch yourself thin. While we don’t know what is going to happen over the next few weeks, it’s essential to set guidelines. Make sure you schedule in breaks so you can:

• Rest your eyes and mind
• Check-in with family and friends (especially the ones you live with)
• Pray and refocus on God

It’s hard to walk away from work when your home becomes your office. This change is especially difficult for those who have never telecommuted.

ASSUMED I COULD WHIP TOGETHER A PLAN IMMEDIATELY

I thought to myself, “I’ll figure out everything this week.” I was going to set-up:

• Virtual small groups for our teens.
• Record a message series for them.
• Help my parish set-up virtual Mass.
• Develop new resources for youth ministers to go virtual.
• Create a homeschooling schedule for the kids.
• Save the world.

The list goes on, and I found myself frustrated when others wouldn’t join me. The issue is that everyone approaches a crisis differently. While my plans are still valid (Maybe not saving the world, I’ll give that to God), they will take time because everyone needs to process the situation in their way.

Some of my volunteers are working harder than before because they are essential employees to their organizations. Others are mourning the loss of an event (e.g., wedding) or opportunity (e.g., vacation). I also didn’t factor that we don’t know everything we need to know about the spread of COVID-19, so making the right plan without the correct information is foolish.

LOST SIGHT OF WHAT GOD WANTS

This pandemic is life-changing, and honestly, I’m a little scared to face some of it. The financial impact on parishes and businesses is frightening. The idea that loved ones might be lost is hard to conceive. It’s during these times when it’s essential to turn to God, but I wasn’t. I was too busy trying to formulate a plan when I should have asked, “God, what do you want me to do?”

It’s important to ask that question because what God wants you to do is different from what He wants others to do. For some of us, this pandemic is an opportunity to step back, while for others, it’s essential to step into action. You won’t know unless you are taking the time to listen to the Lord.

These are three mistakes I made, and I’m sure there are more, but those things happen in unprecedented times. While we can’t control everything going on, we can choose how we respond. Make sure your next response is to God. Don’t be afraid to reach out to others. During this season, do not hesitate to contact us at questions@marathonyouthministry.com to set up a chat.

What are you learning during this season of change?

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