The past several weeks have been unusual to say the least, as our family has sheltered in place amid the threat of Covid-19. Though our struggles are so minor in comparison to what many have suffered, I seem to mourn the loss of my son’s senior year over and over again. Just when I think I have put the grief behind me, my calendar alerts me to yet another milestone that’s lost forever. But this past week, I was gifted with a new perspective on these “losses.”
You see, the uninterrupted time my son has spent with his dad is far more valuable than the hours he missed at the Sr. prom. Having unplanned periods of time on his hands has drawn him to the Scriptures, and meeting with Jesus is far more profitable than hanging with friends. He has finished a book that will help him date wisely and be a better husband, and that’s a much better investment of his time than reading a novel for English class. These “losses” are certainly not bad things in and of themselves; I’m just thankful God gave him something better.
In these few weeks, we have enjoyed more time around the dinner table—eating, putting puzzles together, and playing board games—than in all our previous years combined. As both my children prepare to leave the nest very soon, I am so grateful for moments of laughter and conversation that would likely never have happened were it not for our season of Covid captivity.
When you lose something, only to gain something better, it turns out you haven’t really lost at all. And isn’t this concept the very foundation of our faith—“whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” Mark 8:36