KEEP THE FAITH AND DO THE WORK
BY R.L. WITTER
During the early days, many of us stayed home, picked up new hobbies, honed our cooking skills, and watched everything available on cable TV, satellite, and streaming services.
Over the past 2.5 years, our personal and collective health has been on the minds of the masses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us donned masks and kept our distance from one another in efforts to avoid the virus. Some of us also picked up a few bad habits. My husband had more time to prepare delicious dishes. From light, fluffy pancakes for breakfast to delightful pasta dishes for dinner, my taste buds couldn’t remember the word “no.” To add insult to injury, I also became something of a couch potato after about six months of isolation.
I had neither the desire nor the energy for our afternoon walks. I found myself sleeping later on weekends or just simply staying in bed, enjoying the darkness of blackout curtains. Between the threat of COVID-19, employment and financial concerns, and political chaos, I was feeling sad, frustrated, listless, and eventually hopeless. I was depressed.
Thankfully, I still prayed earnestly and regularly. After asking God to help me feel better, lose weight, find joy, and live with less fear, I got the answer I didn’t necessarily want to hear, but definitely needed to hear: “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does bnot have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”—James 2:14-17 ESV
So I got to work. I found a therapist who helped me work through my fears about the virus, socializing, the political climate, etc. I made a point to spend at least one hour daily reading, crocheting, writing, or doing some other productive activity in lieu of consuming news and mindless television. Soon, one hour became multiple hours. I got back on normal eating and sleeping schedules and gently asked my husband to pull back on the decadent meals since we had both gained weight.
Recently, we added an adorable puppy to our family. While it’s a great deal of work and potty training is especially frustrating at times, the rewards are well worth it. We’re running around the backyard with her and taking family walks around the neighborhood. She brings us joy! She keeps us on schedule, we laugh more, and we’re losing weight, too.
If you’ve been letting things slide and are feeling less than well, do something. You don’t have to do what I did; just do something for yourself. Keep the faith and let’s get to work!
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