When I was young child in the 1980's, I used to love to page through the TV Guide. This was one of the only ways to figure out what was actually on TV. There was no live streaming, Netflix, or on-air guides, and of course no Internet. I remember seeing a show listed, "Sign off" and it was three hours long. I said to my dad, "What kind of show is sign off? It is three hours long." To which my dad explained that some of the channels shut down in the middle of the night and do not show any programming until the early morning. It was too expensive to show programs twenty four/seven. We never saw the channel "sign off" because it was long after we went to bed.
This is exactly how I feel our lives currently are. We had to "sign off" our normal everyday lives as many things shut down or cancelled around us. It is strange to look at my April calendar and not have a single thing to put on it except for Good Friday and Easter which I may in fact celebrate in my own home.
After I get over the initial frustration that "our sign off period" keeps getting extended (Oregon schools now will not open until April 28th and it could be even longer), I am learning to think outside the box and look at the whole picture. I can still run outside. I can still go to the park. I have more time for hobbies. I can read books. I can connect with friends and family by technology. I am getting more sleep. Our family is caring for each other. I want to make some videos for work. There is more.
Though I do not handle the disappointment perfectly and honestly this has not been easy, I think some of us might gain something from it. Even if we do not know what it is right now. Let's allow our hearts to open to God's wisdom and providence.
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