Warning Shot by Maureen Price

A warning shot lets you know you should move. Duck or run. Do something. Get going. Don’t just stand still. It is a call to action. I am a Jack Reacher fan. He is the fictional character of author Lee Child. Jack is a man of action. He is retired army, military police, and now as a civilian, he performs all sort of heroic antics. He dislikes bullies and always manages to get caught up with someone who needs to be rescued. He’s always on the move. He’s always prepared. He does not seem to need a warning shot; he is able to anticipate when things are going south. He travels light, a toothbrush in his front pocket and a wallet in his back pocket. At each new town he buys a new set of clothes at the nearest thrift shop or army surplus store. He checks into a motel and throws out what he was wearing. He never gets comfortable. Seems like an impossible way to live.
I am nothing like Jack Reacher so I would have appreciated a warning shot. Most of us would have. A little notice before you shut down the country would have been good. I didn’t have time to prepare mentally or any other way. I was in my comfort zone when this Coronavirus landed with a bang, minus a  warning shot! Just when you least expect it, things change.
I woke up one day in March to a stay-at-home order. It happened suddenly. At first it’ was a shock. What in the blazes is going on here? It felt unreal but It is very real, and it was scary, at first. This phase lasted a few weeks. Now, we are all finding our new normal. It doesn’t feel as scary now that there is more data available. I still want my life back.
I realized before all this “shelter at home” that I was very comfortable. I was happy with the way things were. I didn’t choose to change; it was forced on me. So, I decided to go with the flow. After all, what choice did I have anyway?  I found my footing and got my home office set up and functioning. I have mastered online meetings and I am doing my own tech support. In addition, I have also been using my extra time lately to de-clutter, shred and organize. It feels great though I am not the kind of minimalist that Jack Reacher is, but I admire his lack of attachment to things. Unlike Jack I need some stuff to make me comfortable. You know, like a house with furniture. A functional well stocked kitchen, clean bathrooms, a bedroom, some blankets and pillows. you know, things like that.
I realized that because I was comfortable, I was taking things for granted. I knew I could do anything I wanted when I wanted. I kept talking about taking a week away at an Airbnb near the beach. There were other things too. However, I didn’t actually plan to do those things. “I’ll do that next week or next month or in the summer or in the fall. So now, I am spending time evaluating why I was putting things off. What will I do different once this is over? Hmmm, maybe I don’t need to wait. I could start with some of the things I was putting off that don’t require travel. Important things, like finally putting together an earthquake kit. Now that might have come in handy. I am not exactly sure what’s in those kits, but I am sure I could have used some of it. It’s been on my “to do” list for quite a while. There is no time like the present. After all, I have a black belt in online shopping. I am sure I can get one of those kits.
I thought about the 10 Virgins that went out to meet the Bridegroom in Matthew 25. As the story goes, 5 of these ladies were wise and 5 were foolish. The foolish ones forgot to put oil in their lamps. Hello, you kind of need oil in your lamp to walk around in the dark. A lamp without oil is like a flashlight without batteries in my imaginary earthquake kit. Useless. And it doesn’t say they didn’t know they needed oil, they knew but “forgot” in other words because they let other things take priority, they were unprepared. No warning shot for them either. As the story says in v13 “Keep watch because you don’t know the day or the hour.” Even though this story is about the coming of Christ, it can be applied to our situation today. We can count on the fact that tomorrow is coming, one day this quarantine will end. I will still need a flashlight and batteries among other things.
What does this mean for me? I am going to review my To Do list of all my forgotten tasks and projects before its time to get back to something like normal. Do you have a list of forgotten tasks or projects? Will you be prepared to meet the future with fewer projects on your list? I know one thing; I do not have the luxury of “forgetting” any longer. I am committed to getting those “forgotten” tasks” off my list. What about you?Maybe this virus was a warning shot after all. As we have all discovered; things can change suddenly! I do not want to get caught without batteries for my flashlight or without an earthquake kit. I need to be prepared for the unexpected as much as possible.
Stay healthy and encouraged! A new day is coming, Let’s pray it’s sooner rather than later.