Reflections from the Home Team - March 29, 2020

“We all know a physical virus can be dangerous, but so can an ‘idea virus’. Let's respond to the fear, negative thoughts, panic and uncertainty with positive, contagious energy.” Jon Gordon

Greetings from Cedar Falls!

Every day seems to bring more news about COVID-19 and every hour seems to deliver more unwelcome changes and decisions made to slow the transmission rates of the virus. As baseball spring camps have been closed down, the NBA having suspended its season, the NCAA cancelling its men's and women's basketball tournaments and wrestling tournament, and the NHL’s regular season being paused, the impact is being felt across all sports. Things certainly feel emptier now and that can be very unsettling.

As the virus was in its beginning stages here in this country, many MLB clubs advised their players to avoid signing autographs, shaking hands or having any other kind of personal interactions with fans. To most players, that was a foreign concept, especially at this time of the year! Baseball enthusiasts often say that the best thing about the game is that every single day you have a chance to see something you've never seen before, and quite honestly, nobody has ever seen anything like this. In this atmosphere, both in baseball and, clearly, beyond, we are all rethinking even the most natural and mundane movements and it's difficult and uncomfortable for all. 

As I’ve often shared, baseball has offered me many valuable lessons when I’ve been confronted with some of the curveballs that have been “pitched” my way. Just as the game of baseball and other sports have implemented precautions that are keeping the players and everyone else safe, I think we all can acknowledge the situation is certainly not ideal. I’m confident we will work through it and the good news is that everyone appears to be cooperating in these first, awkward weeks as we all await the time when things will get back to normal, hopefully sooner than later. That’s a TEAM effort, and a lesson we can all benefit from.

Clearly, the stakes for humanity right now are far greater than determinations of whether games are played in empty stadiums or whether the games are even played at all… As this all plays out in directions few of us could have ever imagined as recently as a few weeks ago, we can only hope lives are protected, infections are contained, and normalcy returns for all soon. In schools, churches at offices and, yes, even in arenas, gyms and stadiums.

The Coronavirus has disrupted everyone’s life in some form or another. Even during the best moments, there is an underlying stress which tends to chip away at our sanity, especially as we socially distance and isolate ourselves to help mitigate the spread of this virus. I had a good friend email me the following today: “I've always been a fan of social distancing anyway, but I am about ready to kidnap my grandkids! From a spiritual point of view, I've been thinking that maybe this will help everyone slow down and realize what is really important as we draw closer to HIM...”  That is the good that can come out of all this, but it’s certainly not easy getting there!

Unfortunately, we have witnessed panic, fear, anxiety and negative thoughts consume many folks over the past few weeks.  Jon Gordon has an interesting perspective on all this, and I’ve shared below his recent post on “How to overcome negative thoughts and fear”. Couldn’t have come at a better time!

HOW TO OVERCOME NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AND FEAR

Are you struggling with Fear? If you are like most people, including me, I'm sure the answer is yes. Do your negative thoughts come from you? If you say yes, I have another question for you. Who would ever choose to have a negative thought? I know I certainly wouldn't. The truth is negative thoughts don't come from you. They come from consciousness. Think of the brain as the hardware. Consciousness is the software. No one has ever found a thought inside a brain. Thought simply activates the brain. Thoughts exist in something like an internet cloud and they are always being downloaded to your brain. It's the same with dreams and nightmares. You don't choose them. Negative thoughts pop in at random times or, for some, more frequently. They are like an unwanted surprise guest that shows up at your front door to tell you that your future is hopeless and that this is the end of the world. They tell you that you don't have what it takes to make it through this challenging time. They try to convince you that your best days are behind you. But here's the deal. Like any unwanted surprise guest, you decide whether or not to entertain them. A thought's power only comes from the power you give it. You don't have to give your negative thoughts power. You can ignore them. You can see them for what they truly are: lies, lies, lies. Always remember that just because you have a negative thought doesn't mean you have to believe it. Fear is a liar and if you struggle with fear and negative thoughts, it’s because you believe the lies that they tell. Fear stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. Fear looks and feels true, but it isn't. I'm not saying the virus and pandemic we face isn't real. I'm saying we can't let the fear that comes from it become irrational and overtake our lives. Fear says you aren't strong enough, good enough, successful enough, wealthy enough, happy enough, smart enough, talented enough. Well, I say enough with fear. Instead, know the truth. You have everything you need inside you to be successful. You weren't meant to be average. You have a desire to be great because you were created and born to go great things. You have a purpose. There's a plan for your life. You may be going through a hard time now, but you will get through this. It looks like the end of the world, but it isn't. This too shall pass. I want you to know that I too have struggled with negative thoughts and fear this week as well. Every time I watch the news, I feel depressed for a few minutes before reviving my hope and belief again. Be careful of watching too much news during this time. It can overwhelm and discourage you. Ironically the more it does, we return to it like a drug seeking to feel better only to feel worse. Use the media for information but then shut it off for your mental health. And when fear and negativity pop in your head you can ignore them or speak truth to the lies. That's what I do, and I was thrilled to hear that’s what the singer Jewel does as well. I was recently listening to an interview she did where said she makes a list of all the lies fear tells her. Then she writes down the truth next to the lies. She said it has given her a lot of power and freedom. It can do the same for you. There is a tremendous amount of freedom in knowing that negative thoughts are not coming from you. There's a ton of power in knowing that you don't have to believe the lies. You can know, speak and live the truth and just keep moving forward with belief, optimism, faith and grit. No matter what thoughts come your way, you have everything you need inside you to get through this difficult time. Thoughts will come and go but you just stay in the game one day at a time and keep moving forward. Don't look to the past. Don't look too far into the future. Do what you can do to make today great!  The truth is, this isn't going to be easy. The truth is, our leaders are going to have to make difficult decisions in the near future to save lives and save the economy. The truth is, we can't control the events in our life, but we can control how we respond. The truth is, we will get through this. We all know a physical virus can be dangerous, but so can an idea virus. Let's respond to the fear, negative thoughts, panic and uncertainty with positive contagious energy. Positive energy is contagious too. Share it! - Jon

I have always found comfort in the Psalms when I find myself struggling with those nasty ‘idea viruses’. The Psalms have provided me with peace when I place my focus on the One who gives it to each of us. If you haven’t already, now is a good time to start slowly and purposely meditating on God’s word.  It is a soul-stilling activity. Take some time and read a Psalm thinking about what it is saying about who God is, and what His power is in the “idea virus” situations we all face in our daily lives. “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” Psalms 94:19

The Psalms are not the only source of peace and strength in God’s word. Seek out stories of God’s provision in the Bible. The God who met those needs is the same God who meets our needs. The fact that we are anxious and stressed does not come as a surprise to God. Take this time to lay every concern before Him. Begin by thanking God for every good thing in your life, whether it be that you have toilet paper and hand soap, or that the sun is shining. Focus upward and outward with the positive energy Jon refers to above.

While we are at it, let’s also pray for others: the leaders making tough decisions, essential workers who daily put their health at risk to meet the needs of our community, children and parents who have lost their routines, and for people with compromised health. The list is endless. Prayer is also a powerful way for maintaining our mental health and helping us all get through this.

We are in a unique period of time where all the “extra” stuff in life has been canceled. By responding to the fear, negative thoughts, panic and uncertainly with positivity and God’s word, we can be reminded of two very important things: God is still God, and this too shall pass.

Blessings to each of you!

Dave

Are you or someone you know fighting cancer... struggling with the physical, emotional and spiritual issues that accompany a cancer journey or other serious health issue? Making ourselves available to others can open up the doors of opportunity for deeper relationships, healing, and transformation. For many, time is one of the most valuable commodities in today's fast-paced world. Sharing time with others is a wonderful gift. It says, "Here I am. . . for you. To listen, to care, to serve." The power of presence should never be underestimated!  

Be an encourager in someone else’s life!

To learn more about being an encourager, and to view the Reflections blog, visit the Reflections from the Home Team website at:

www.reflectionsfromthehometeam.com/