Covid’s Waiting Room
Peterborough has been called God’s waiting room. People come here to retire. It’s a good place. We have all the city comforts – arts, sports, restaurants, seniors’ centers, and lots of shopping. We can drive across the city in fifteen minutes if all the lights are green.
Peterborough is also a good place for parents to raise young children. Here, they are surrounded by grandparents, both biological and adopted. Too often, we connect God’s waiting room with waiting to die. Actually, here in Peterborough, seniors and young families are called to more abundant life.
Over the last two years we have all been living in Covid’s waiting room regardless of our location. We wait for delivery of purchased goods. We wait for restaurants to open up again. We wait for the pandemic to be over. We have struggled to live an abundant life in the midst of all this waiting. We have learned so many things.
One of the biggest lessons is the importance of caring for others. This pandemic has taught us, “if one suffers, we all suffers.” Therefore, it’s important to stay home when we are sick. Most of us willingly wear masks when we’re in public and try to keep the required six feet of social distance. Most of us are vaccinated. We are sharing our stockpile of immunizations with third world countries because we know until all nations are safe we will not be safe. We pray for those afflicted and hope for the day that we will be able to throw away our masks.
Here in Peterborough and everywhere, we are not waiting to die. We are living, actively living and caring for one another. We have learned that we cannot sit back and just wait to live, regardless of what life has brought us. Each day is a precious gift, not to be thrown away waiting. As we live through this pandemic here are two prayers that can help us live abundantly in Covid’s waiting room, in any waiting room.
- Begin each morning giving thanks for your new day. It is God’s gift whatever it will contain. Ask God to help you be a blessing for someone, a nurse, a taxi driver, a small child, a stranger, your spouse, your friend. Amen Before you jump into your day, give yourself a compliment for getting up, or making the bed, or offering a smile, or whatever, even for praying.
2. End each day with a prayer of thanksgiving for all the blessings of that day.
These little prayers can help you live well, despite the waiting. They will also ensure that you are prepared for whatever comes next.