Yesterday morning was bad.

Normally, my day gets into full swing around noon. I’m not sorry about that, by the way. This quarantine is taking its’ toll – on all of us. Preston is bored 210% of the time and JP thinks we’re all dying.

It’s exhausting. We’re all exhausted. And we’re all pretty tired of one another. I’m sorry, but it cannot be the Lord’s will for six (very different) humans to spend twenty four hours a day/seven days a week together. It’s just not healthy. It might even be dangerous. At least for the little people. 

Yesterday morning I had a full blown meltdown. I tried to hide it at first (protect the kids emotionally, at all costs. Make sure they never see us fall apart.) That mindset flew out the window shortly after my feet hit the floor. I was whiney, short-tempered, impatient and just plain mad. 

Not accustomed to being stuck in the house, I’ve referred to this quarantine as “prison” more than once. That’s what it feels like sometimes. I am really trying to stay positive – reading a lot, watching fun television shows, walking outside, playing games and petting my dogs. These efforts proved futile during my fit.

Then I made pancakes. I was mixing the batter in a bowl with tears trickling down my face. I remembered I’d forgotten to read my devotion. I stopped what I was doing to get the book. None of this made sense, it could have waited till after I finished breakfast. Except it couldn’t.

I opened the book to April 7. The title jumped off the page.

Remember Jesus.

When Paul was in a Roman prison (not a quarantine, but actual prison) he wrote these words, “Remember Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead… this is the good news I preach.” (2 Timothy 2:8)

Max Lucado goes on to say, “When times get hard, remember Jesus. When people don’t listen, remember Jesus. When tears come, remember Jesus. When disappointment is your partner, remember Jesus… He’s the reason a prisoner could talk about the Good News and the reason we can talk about the Good News no matter what crisis we face.“

I don’t know about you, but my mind has been filled with bad news these past few weeks. It seems like no matter where I turn, COVID-19 and all that surrounds it floods my mind and affects my vision. I’ve not been thinking clearly.

I need to read less articles on Facebook and read the Bible. I need to stop listening to the news and listen to praise music.

I need to remember Jesus.