Note: On Tuesdays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
Three months ago when I looked at the calendar and saw that I would be writing a Daily Tripod on St. Patrick’s Day, I started thinking about what story I would share today: The tale of how my rapscallion Irish great-grandfather tricked his beloved into thinking they were married? The story 
of how Manny, the-best-dog-who-ever-lived, in the minute I was not in the kitchen gobbled down about half the green-tinted shamrock cookies I’d made for work? Surely, I could figure out a way to relate the day’s scripture to one of them.
Except then came corona virus, and breathtaking shutdowns, and a bear stock market.
I can’t offer a heartwarming or humorous (or eye rolling) personal story. But I can offer this:
Following God, sacrificing, and forgiving our fellow servants is easy when we feel secure in our environment—good health, plenty of food and toilet paper, cash on hand or on the debit or credit card.
Doing the same when people are freaking out, justifiably or not, about the lack of material goods, is a lot harder. Forgiving them, and accepting a new normal, even if it’s temporary, without museums, sports, concerts, and other get-togethers, is harder too.
And none of it matters a hill of bills, really.
When we set up creature comforts as false gods, it’s a challenge to sacrifice them. But maybe it’s a gift as well. Sacrifice them unreservedly and with love. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll find that more time to spend with our family or in prayer or on reading will be less of a challenge and more of a comfort than we expected.
