What COVID-19 Has Taught Me
“When was the last pandemic?” The first thing I googled during the time COVID-19 was all over the news. Is it like a zombie apocalypse or what? Media already has a lot about the virus, but what has it taught me?
Local health care workers in Hong Kong
Little things that can bless others.
Crazy how a couple months ago, I would watercolor during my free time and make handmade stationery for our new art ministry “The Elisha Project”, just in case I had people close by to give it to. I didn’t even think about how this was going to be one of the main ways to do ministry during this season! My missionary friends and I spent about a month writing letters and painting watercolor designs for local patients. Did we know if they received them? Most of them did! Did it encourage them? We leave that question to God but I’m so thankful we were able to pray and think about each patient and health care worker we wrote to.
Skills I had never tried before.
A good friend of mine shared with me a recipe from Cooking Classy called “No Knead Bread”. I had never tried making bread before. Honestly, I was scared of even trying, ‘cause I thought my baking skills were terrible since I’ve always been too lazy to read recipe instructions and prefer to improvise. I gave it a try. It turned out better than I expected. The second time failed, because the rising temperature wasn’t right haha! But I’ll keep trying. Now this will become a new tradition, to make fresh bread on Easter weekend! :) (thanks COVID)
Get stuck with the right people.
Honestly, I love my family, no matter how crazy we can get. My mom arrived during the beginning stage of COVID, when a few cases were getting into Hong Kong but the borders had not closed yet. As she was flying from the US to Hong Kong, American Airlines had closed their direct flights to Hong Kong. She arrived, safe and sound but now it was uncertain when she would be able to travel back! She had planned to just visit for a month and a half, but she’s been with my sister and I for about 4 months! It’s been the longest time the three of us have been together since my high school days. It’s been great to spend time with each other, eat delicious homemade meals, serving together and laughing hard/crying while watching Korean dramas! (“진짜!”) Sometimes we don’t need tons and tons of people to share everything with – just know who are your closest. Invest in those relationships!
Be wise. Help yourself and others.
At the beginning, I didn’t pay too much attention. Panic buying, people looking at others weird when they coughed, long lines to buy masks, tons of articles and posts about what to do with a virus that spreads rapidly and pretty much would get stuck on anything. Getting more information from professionals actually helped me understand how serious the situation was going to be. Not just a forwarded anonymous video from a whatsapp chat, but actual facts from health care professionals and government websites (well, the Hong Kong one at least!) I learned to keep up with extra hygiene, washing hands constantly, trying not to touch my face, keeping safe distance and "air-fives”. In general, to continue boosting my immune system as usual, balanced meals, drinking lots of water and trying to exercise more (lol, still working on it). Thankfully, I have not gotten sick at all since the virus broke out last December. Before leaving the house, really asking myself, “Do I really need to go out? What do I need to take with me? How can I best protect myself and others around me?”
Don’t be driven by fear.
ANXIETY. CONTROL. FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN. I think 2020 has definitely been a year of much uncertainty. It made me realize that truly, nothing in my life is under my own control. I can’t force things to happen. I can plan a lot, schedule a ton, but things won’t necessarily be exactly the way I wanted them to be. These things cause anxiety. Fear of the unknown, fear of things not happening, fear of bad things happening. Fear that life will change dramatically, drastically, traumatically. I’ve been learning to lay down my fears every day, to recognize whenever I have fearful thoughts, to take them to Jesus and surrender it all to Him. To communicate them to Him first and then to others whom I trust. If I keep them to myself for too long, then it really will affect the way I make decisions. Something that really helps them is writing my fears down, and then next to it, writing the truth about God and how He helps us overcome fear.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
— PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7
