Truth is Still Truth

A few weeks ago I wrote about “21 Covid Truths” I had learned.  These things were new to my world, or relatively so, and might one day be just memories instead of truth I was living. 

And that idea has stuck with me for the past week.  Just how relative is truth?  Total?  Some?  Not at all?  For example, when I learned to type you always did two spaces at the end of a sentence after the punctuation.  And this wasn’t a typewriter; I remember the computer program counting those spots as ‘wrong’ because I only single spaced instead of two. 

BUT NOW?

Now the rule is that you only have to single space.  Microsoft even came out and said that one space was correct, not two. 

Nope.  Sorry.  That’s not happening.  My fingers are so ingrained to tap twice that to try and change that would probably wreck my whole typing game.  That ‘truth’ is gonna stay relative.

But throughout this Quarantine, things have happened to prove that certain occurrences, certain experiences, certain Truths, will always be there.  Regardless if the world comes to a standstill or not. 

1.       The chicks will still follow the mother hen. 

I have been alone with my children for about seven weeks now.  Right when all of this was hitting the US, it was our Spring Break so the kids were already out of school and hanging with me.  We started it visiting my parents with intentions to travel down to Texas and see other family but decided that would be unwise.  We came home on a Tuesday and the following Tuesday, KC shut down.  We were right; it would’ve been unwise to go.  So I’ve been at home, and only at home, with my children for SEVEN weeks. 

This was taken one morning, right after we all got up, and I am SITTING ON THE TOILET in my bathroom. They all, and the cat, had to be a part of it. The dog would’ve been there too if he hadn’t still been in his kennel.

Never mind that they’ve been with me more the past two months than since they were infants, and are all in elementary school, mom still doesn’t get any privacy to pee. 

And you know what’s incredible?  That doesn’t seem strange to them.  I’m their mom and always will be.  No matter how long we’ve been “Sheltering” at home, they will often still follow me around.  Not as often as when they were Small, small but still with a surprising disregard for boundaries.

2.       The rooster still won’t get asked first. 

While we’re on the subject of universal truths involving children, Mom will always, always, always, ALWAYS get asked instead of Dad.  In fact, it’s fair to say that Dad won’t get asked unless Mom says, “Go ask your Dad.” They can be in the same room as Dad, with Mom on another floor, and they will still come find Mom to ask her first. 

Okay, let’s be really, real.  They won’t come find Mom.  They’ll just shout continuously from where ever they are for Mom.

And this shouldn’t be surprising. 

I could go into the natural order of things and how we have been providing for our children safety, food, and joy since before they were born.  So of course they will turn to us FIRST. 

I could go into the Supernatural order of things and how God models this behavior for us.  How El Shaddai is the perfect example of motherhood and the pouring out of Himself for His children.  So of course they want us FIRST because that need is sewn into our souls.

But I don’t need to.  All I need to say is that I am MOM.  So for the foreseeable future, I will always get asked first.  And the day that changes?  Hmm…that’ll be interesting.   

3.       YouTube (or Pint rest or TikTok or Instagram) will still suck you into a black hole for way more time than you planned.

I mean, we all have our crack when it comes to Social Media.  Mine is the Graham Norton show or the Wired Auto-complete interviews.  Or cake decorating videos. Or cookie decorating.  Or laughing babies.    I love those things.  And I’ll love them for hours all the while mentally protesting my assertion that I’ll just watch “one more”.

4.       Unexpected messes will still occur.

Yesterday my oldest tried to move a full 2 liter bottle of 7-Up from the counter to the fridge.  SOMEHOW it fell out of his hands, hit the ground just right, and popped the cap off.  What ensued was a carbonated rocket, shooting through the kitchen into the dining room.  SHOOTING.  There is not hyperbole in that sentence.  It showered my son, his school iPad, the cabinets in the kitchen, the walls as it sailed past, and even tried to get the entry way.  The most incredible part of all was that we couldn’t find the soda bottle. It happened so fast that none of us saw where it went.  We looked everywhere.  My husband even checked in the basement to see if it somehow sling-shot around the wall and fell down into the basement.  The 7 year old finally found it wedged under our liquor shelves in the dining room.  Y’ALL.  It had compressed to half its width.  It knocked things off and yet NOTHING broke.  We witnessed a physics miracle. 

This is life.  Messes that make you look around in disbelief and then crack up because “did that really just happen?!” will still occur no matter what the state of the world is in. 

5.       Expected messes will still occur.

I’m looking at you laundry.  And dishes.  And dog poop. 

6.       Movies are great.

Everyone has those movies that they can watch over and over again.  They are comforting and nostalgic and bring peace as well as two hours of happiness.  Some are universal to a the world (Tell me you won’t stop and watch Indiana Jones as he makes his way through the temple only to have to run from the giant ball of death.  I dare you.).  Some are universal to a generation.  (Clueless anyone? I mean you know you totally paused.)  And some just to a certain household.  Nobody but my siblings and parents will ever understand the genius that is A Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island.

But what’s also great about spending so much time at home?  You get to pass on those movies to your kids or spouses or even friends.

We’ve started playing a game called Sleeping Queens.  It can get pretty intense.  I won’t explain the rules except to say that there is a jester card.  Now, whenever someone plays a jester, one of my kids will say “King of Jesters and Jester of Kings”.  Because we watched The Court Jester with Danny Kaye.  (If you haven’t seen this movie, watch it immediately.  Your life will be richer for it.) 

During this quarantine, my husband and I have had so much fun showing our kids ‘classics’.  Some legitimate Classics (like the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), some that will become so (like Hook), and some that won’t be but are still loved by all children of the 90s (like Angels in the Outfield and Rookie of the Year). 

7.       Medical emergencies will still occur.

I hate that this one is true.  I really do.  But it is.  Bones will still get broken.  Strokes will still occur.  Tumors will still be found.  Diagnoses will still be given.  And loved ones will still die. 

Our world is still fallen and our bodies are still imperfect.  No matter how safe we are being, accidents will still happen.

BUT.  Jesus is still King.  And Jesus is still alive.  And miracles still occur, proving that Jesus is bigger than the world.  And through Him, our souls are still immortal, proving that Jesus is still, and always will be,  bigger than death. 

8.       Renewal will keep coming.

I was walking my dog and noticed that it was that magic evening time.  When the night sky is the perfect gradient and that blue twilight is just above the horizon.  The sun is gone but it’s not totally night yet.  And as you watch, stars start to blink into existence again. 

And just for a moment, the air smelled like Summer. 

You know that smell?  It’s like watermelon. And fireflies. And running in the growing dark on bare feet. 

I know that really, it’s just the smell of water.  But my heart and my brain catch a whiff and say, “That’s Summer.  It’s coming.”

And it is.  The Lord set the world turning and it will continue to turn, bringing renewal with it.  No matter what is happening on it.  Summer is on the horizon.  Full of cook outs and laughter and chilled drinks and friends.  And watermelon.

9.       Snuggling on the couch with your whole household is restorative.

This is self explanatory.  And will always be true. 

10.    The hard lessons are still happening.

No matter where we are in the world or in our lives or even in our aging, the hard lessons about life are still happening.  About racism.  And sexism.  Lessons of humility and forgiveness.  And attitude.  (Oh, the attitudes…)

I’ve thought a lot about how people hundreds of years ago lived.  Those on the prairies or the mountains or the West.  It was just them.  Their household.  No matter how rarely they saw other people, the walk of faith was still happening.  And these lessons were still a part of it.

But our introductions to the lessons are SO much easier.  And plentiful.  TV and movies and songs and books and social media have never been so prevalent in our lives.  Which means there are lessons that pop up everywhere. 

Now, let’s be honest.  I don’t attack each opportunity with equal fervor.  Sometimes the Princess does indeed need to be rescued.  But I’ve, we’ve, got a truly captive audience and if my boys don’t remember some life lessons out of this then I’ve wasted a golden opportunity. 

11.   That’s right, I said golden.

  What’s happening is horrible.  HORRIBLE.  We pray every day for ‘the Corona’ to go away or disappear or even die.  This desire is so strong that my 5 year-olds pray this independently without being prompted. 

And this has been hard just being us.  I’ve had melt downs.  My kids have had meltdowns.  My husband…well, he hasn’t had a meltdown but he’s definitely been down.  And yet.  I am so blessed to be able to say that I have loved getting to discover US.

This US-ness IS going to be a part of our new Truth.  My band of five is rock solid.  I thought we were before but I know it now.  And praise God for it.  I am going to be a lot more selfish with my family in the future.  And probably going to be a lot more open about it.  And a lot more comfortable being honest about that. 

12.      God is still God and faith is still faith.

I don’t have anything pithy to say to this.  That truth speaks for itself.  Our situation doesn’t change how faith works.  It will definitely make your faith grow and challenge it.  But it doesn’t change that prayer is always possible.  That listening to the Spirit is always possible.  That seeking His face is always possible. 

God doesn’t change.  No matter what is happening in the world.  No matter if we wish God would change and just FIX everything.  God is still God.  The ultimate tactician.  The ultimate physician.  The ultimate parent.  The ultimate companion. The ultimate artist.  Forever El Roi, El Shaddai, Elohim, Jehovah, and Adonai.  I AM will always be.  And I AM will always love us.  Praise His holy name.