Home Again
Are you one of the many who have moved back home because of COVID-19? Many people are returning home because of the closing of college campuses, financial insecurities, illness, loneliness, or the need for family support. You may have left home to obtain a degree, to attain employment, establish your own home, gain independence, or to “do you.”
We cannot predict our futures. We sometimes incur unforeseeable situations. Could you have ever dreamed that the pandemic would play such a key role in modifying your envisioned plans? Consider the pros and cons as you reflect on returning home.
For some, they return home to a warm, peaceful, welcoming place. Not so for others, who have difficult family situations. Campus may have been a refuge. Physical engagement with friends, associates, neighbors, instructors, classmates and coworkers, has been replaced with social distancing, isolation from friends, peers and loved ones. You may feel “stuck in the house.” If you are a student, classroom learning has been replaced with virtual learning. But you can still your ultimate goal—a degree or certificate.
Another con is finding your role in the family again. When you left home, you were chronologically younger. Now you are in a new life stage, older and more mature. Adjusting and adapting to a new normal life comes with navigating adulting in the same space where you spent your teenage years. This critical juncture in your life can also have its upside. It can give you greater insight and appreciation for the way your family deals with challenging life issues. For some, you’ll learn what not to do. Either way, your family training and upbringing will prepared you for the future.
What’s so counter cultural about how God would have you face the future?
Don’t fear. You are not alone. The Giver of Life, the One Who made and cares for you and knows what’s going on with you. God created each of us and knows our beginning and end. He knows even the number of hairs on our heads (Luke 12:7). Romans 8:28 informs us that if we accept and love God, all things will work together for our good.
I pray that during this novel time, you will draw closer to God. Trust Him with your fears and uncertainties. Believe that He will accomplish His plan for your life. I pray that you will reach your destiny even though obstacles seem to stand in your way.