Here we are in the Spring of 2020 amid this Coronavirus quarantine. So many are isolated in homes, cut off from daily relationships of family, friends, coworkers and neighbors. Grocery stores, though a necessity, have become awkward and foreign. Handshakes, hugs, and physical closeness are off limits. Churches, restaurants, and places of business are having to either shut down or get creative in order to keep their doors open and people engaged. It’s surreal.

And as we daily live out this social distancing thing, we find ourselves desperately alone. We are surfing social media, watching the news, and entertaining conspiracy theories. COVID-19 seems so distant, so unreal until it doesn’t and suddenly, we have a relative or friend who is impacted. Fear sets in. Fear turns to panic. We calm ourselves down. And then the process starts all over again.

This isolation is too much for so many. Being alone with ourselves and the constant barrage of media coverage is producing an unhealthy thought life. We are hiding out, as well we should be, but instead of just physically pulling away, we are also emotionally, mentally, and spiritually pulling away as well. When we are isolated from others, not only do we forget basic social rules and etiquette, but we also forget how important it is to be around other likeminded friends who will speak the truth into our lives. We neglect our iron-sharpeners and essentially end up neglecting other good things that we used to add to our lives. No coffee with friends, movie night with the family, lunch with coworkers, bible study with the ladies, church on Sunday, men’s meetings, service projects, ball games, school activities, and the list goes on and on. As we are isolated, so many of the places and ways we connect are temporarily gone and we are just being okay with it.

It’s not okay to neglect these relationships. It’s not okay to sit in your house for hours on end and hear only your voice and the media’s. We need to realize how important it is to intentionally feed our souls the good stuff. We need to seek out online options for growth and relationships. We need to pick up the phone and call the people who are the iron-sharpeners in our lives. We need to seek out ways to serve others, like donating to food pantries, delivering groceries to the elderly, assisting homeschool parents, and making masks. We need to read books that will build us up instead of constantly filling our ears with news from the media. We need to read our bibles, study, journal, pray and watch a live church service online. We need to spend time with our kids and let them know they are valuable. We need to go outside and do fun things that we normally wouldn’t have time for. We just need to do whatever it takes to fill our minds and souls with the good stuff instead of sitting alone and isolating ourselves in pure, old junk.  

So, who are you going to call after you finish reading this? Which book are you going to pull off the shelf? Which game is coming out of the closet? What project are you going to seek information about helping with? Just remember, isolating physically is a huge piece of the wellness puzzle right now, but isolating yourselves mentally, emotionally, and spiritually is not. Seek out the healthy things that will bring truth into your mind and heart. And no matter how hard or scary it may get, don’t forget to feed your soul the good stuff.