My grandfather, Don Gray's, Birthday Flight — PDK Airport, Atlanta, GA — photo The Stoic Christian, 2019
Can you believe it? It’s already April!
As many of us sit in quarantine, either because you have been somehow exposed to COVID-19 or simply because your state dignitaries have ordered a shelter-in-place (both in my case), you may find yourself with some “extra time” on your hands. You’re bored. You have somehow reached the bottom of the scroll feeds on Facebook and Instagram. You’re on your way to becoming TikTok famous. You now have a weekly happy hour with your friends via a Zoom call. You have binge watched all your Netflix shows, and now you’re an expert on tigers and are convinced that Carole killed her husband…(I have not personally seen the show Tiger King, but it’s all over the internet.)
Whatever your personal circumstances, we are currently living in time of what I like to call "forced rest.” Another term might be “solitude” not to be confused with “isolation.” In a book I referenced in my last post, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, the author, John Mark Comer, goes on to define the two like this…
“Solitude is engagement; isolation is escape. Solitude is safety; isolation is danger. Solitude is how you open yourself up to God; isolation is painting a target on your back for the tempter.” — John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
Isn’t that a great explanation? Solitude (in a spiritual context) is intentionally spending time alone with God. Isolation is intentionally and simply being alone. Just like the old saying goes, “Nothing good happens after midnight” I would venture to say that nothing good happens in isolation.
For those of us that are confined within the walls that we call home you may have noticed, while possibly bored, that the days are starting to run together and the news seems to be on repeat with no new information, other than escalating numbers in confirmed cases and a saddening rise in the number of deaths. Time continues on. It does not wait for us and it definitely is not going to wait for COVID-19 to run its course. With that said, I want to challenge you to take a moment (or two) to sit back and ponder on what you are doing with your “extra time”?
Being a mild history buff (one who personally enjoys American history) I am reminded of a piece of advice the third President of the United States made in a letter to his daughter while in France:
“Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time, who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done, if we are always doing.” — Thomas Jefferson, May 5, 1787
“Determine to never be idle...” If you know anything about Thomas Jefferson, you would know that these are not just empty words, or a “do as I say, not as I do,” imperative. Amongst winning the nomination to become our third president, Thomas Jefferson accomplished many a great thing with the time he was given. Here’s a few:
Author of the Declaration of Independence (mind you he was only in his early thirties!)
While president, in 1801, he set in motion to establish the United States Military Academy at West Point, finally becoming an institution a year later.
Doubled the size of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase (for a mere $15 million!)
Successfully taught himself to become an architect (most notably designing his own home Monticello)
Abolished slave trade in the United States.
Established the Library of Congress (which would later burn down in the War of 1812) and then subsequently sold his own personal collection of nearly 7,000 books to restart the library.
Founded the University of Virginia.
Was an avid reader.
Practiced and played violin.
Studied and spoke multiple languages.
I could go on and on, but assuming not many of you are as fascinated by the men and women of history as I am, I will spare you for now. I say all of this, to tell you that there are so many things that we can be doing during our temporary hiatus. While it may be tempting to “kill time” and wait this thing out I want to re-share a quote from one of my previous posts, which is also relevant to the upcoming holiday; and put things back into perspective:
“When you kill time, remember that it has no resurrection.” — A.W. Tozer
Tozer, being himself a pastor, was obviously referring to the resurrection of Jesus Christ (I’ll save that story for a later post)… but Happy Easter! With that in mind I want to ask you a few questions on how you can be productive with your “extra time”:
How are you improving your immediate environment?
How are you improving your physical health?
How are you improving your mental health?
How are you improving the lives of those around you? (Safely from 6 feet I might add)
What habits are you starting up or maybe quitting?
Can you actually afford to waste any time?
The stoics referred to this as an idea of alive time vs. dead time. Meaning that, in moments of lull or quietude, we are given a simple choice: use the time to improve or let the time fly. Cato the Elder, great-grandfather to the equally notorious stoic and opposer to Julius Caesar, Cato The Younger, had this to say about these times of stillness…
“In rainy weather, try to find something to do indoors. Clean up rather than be idle. Remember that even though work stops, expenses run on nonetheless.” — Cato the Elder
In my last post I challenged you to take a little of that time to sit and be still. Use it to become the calm amongst the storm. Now I am going to challenge you to do the opposite. I challenge you to not be lazy with the things that matter. If you are working from home, do not lose your work ethic. Call your boss routinely to be sure that you both are on the same page and staying productive. If you are among the many millions who have been laid off or furloughed, use this time to focus on the things that you have been putting off. Get into a workout regimen. Improve your eating habits. Sit in solitude and spend time alone with God. Ask him what lesson it is that you need to be learning in this time. Call your family. Paint. Practice an instrument. Learn a new language. Read, read, read. Determine to never be idle.
In addition, here’s a few encouraging quotes and verses to help you through these trying times:
“As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” — John 9:4
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity on the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” — Ecclesiastes 3:11
"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust I you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life." — Psalms 143:8
“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: “I have to go to work — as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for — the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?” — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
Full Th. Jefferson quote — https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-11-02-0327
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