Embracing the simple yet sweet, work from home moments in the midst of COVID-19

I’m sitting here, in my guest bedroom, which has transitioned into my work from home office in response to COVID-19. For the last five months, this has been my 9-5 place of dwelling. I’ve worked alongside a non-profit here in Columbia, SC serving at-risk children and their families. My current role is more administrative in nature, which has allowed me the freedom to work from home, in a more “behind the scenes” fashion.

Sure, I miss the comradely of my fellow co-workers and the freedom in not having to fill out a daily time-sheet, yet there are such sweet moments here in this work from home space, that I’ve learned to deeply cherish and embrace.

I am thankful for these simple yet sweet, work from home moments:

Moments in my Quiet, Simple Space

In the midst of rising COVID-19 cases here in South Carolina, I am grateful for this quiet space where I can work, pray, and meditate. Yet in this space, I also recognize that many people do not have this same luxury. There are many who are faithfully serving on the front lines in hospitals, shelters, grocery stores, and soon to be schools. I sit here, with such appreciation for certain friends and family members who have been courageously facing this unseen enemy through their work and ministry. I give thanks for my safe, quiet place, but also for those continually serving on the front-lines in the midst of the uncertainty, chaos, and confusion COVID-19 continues to bring.

Moments with Joey

During this work from home period, I’ve had the chance to work alongside my husband, Joey, as he continues to build his real estate career. Initially, I thought this would be sheer bliss. After all, how fun would it be to spend whole days together, encouraging and supporting each other’s work efforts, while taking daily lunch breaks together on our back patio? I was in for a wake up call, both of us were, as we didn’t realize how hard it would be to work together in a relatively small space for an extended period of time.

Between us needing to use the bathroom at the same time, not respecting each other’s work space, and mixing in honey-do lists into our already packed schedules, this work from home married life wasn’t what I initially thought it to be. COVID-19 also had a way of bringing up those deeper, underlying relational issues that had been masked by the day-to-day grind. This time together actually became a time of refining, marked by hard but needed conversations, sometimes lasting into the late hours of the night. During this time, we learned a great deal about each other, but also about the deeper layers of brokenness, beauties, needs, and longings within ourselves.

After some firm boundary setting and honest conversations, however, this whole work from home thing between us started to work a bit better. We let go of rigid expectations and let the day flow as it would. Coffee spill in the kitchen? Oh well; a good excuse to make a fresh pot. Someone else in the bathroom when I have to go? Oh well; I learned to suck it up, wiggle around, and have a dance party in the hallway with the dogs.

I’ve especially started cherishing those moments when Joey plays and sings John Prime on his guitar from the other room. Before, it would distract me and pull me away from my steady rhythm in responding to floods of work emails and texts. But now, when I hear his voice and passion of his heart flow through his words, I stop. I breathe. And I smile. And I give thanks for these moments.

Moments in Nature

Additional moments I’ve come to cherish flow through the space of my yard, and more generally, nature. On lunch breaks, I’ve had the chance to pull some extra weeds, nurture some flowers, and tend to my vegetable garden. I’ve experienced moments of joy in my gardening endeavors, but also times of disappointment and frustration when my shrubs don’t grow as planned, or when an army of pests consume my vegetable seedlings. Despite the disappointments, there are always lessons to be learned here, which I’ve grown to cherish over this season of life.

And, in moments of just sitting and listening within my backyard, I’ve come to appreciate moments of nature’s stillness. It doesn’t rush, or try to push me along in any sort of way. Rather, when I close my eyes and lay in my ENO, I’ve felt held by the life which surrounds me.

When I intentionally stop and listen – truly listen – I am drawn in through a peaceful, still presence. And, there is such beauty here, from the birds chirping and greeting me each morning, to the butterflies floating about. I’ve been reflecting on John Calvin’s words in The Institutes of Christian Religion, when referencing Psalm 104:2, that when God created the world for the first time, it was like Him putting on outer clothes.

I am thankful for these small moments, within my backyard, where I can experience the greatness of God and catch glimpses of His beautiful, life-giving presence through His creation.

Practicing Daily Gratitude

In the midst of COVID-19, we’ve all been through multiple transitions and have collectively experienced a form of trauma. Some have experienced the impact and residue of COVID-19 more intensely than others, yet we’ve all faced the risks and uncertainty it continues to bring.

In the midst of these trying times, practicing daily gratitude can help ground us, and remind us of the many blessings and gifts we have to cherish. Within my efforts to practice daily gratitude, I’m learning to embrace my simple yet sweet, work from home moments in the small spaces of my home.

What about you? What are your moments? And how can you embrace them today?