Social Distancing Wake Up Call

Glad you called.

In the span of a few hours I heard these statements

    It was a pleasant surprise to get a call from you and spend time talking with you.

    I am grateful and pleased you thought to call. 

    It'sIt's always good to pick up the phone and call. 

I called last time.

In contrast, I have caught myself saying this in my thoughts: I miss talking to __________, I wonder what he is up to, but you know, I called last, and it's his turn to call.

In the last couple of weeks, I finished the book "The Insanity of God." The main character and author was a missionary in an impoverished third world country. In one scene, he describes meeting a woman who was definitely malnourished and had very few possessions.  

She needed to talk.

The interaction is described this way:

The land was barren, the people were starving, and as was my usual approach when I came near to someone, I went through my list of questions. Do you need food? How about a tarp to protect you from the weather? Does your family need clothes? Silence. Then he went to the general question, ''what do you need?'' There was no answer to specifics; the lady begins to talk and tell her story. 

The gift of listening.

That's what she needed, someone to listen, someone to engage with her. Listening seemed to give hope and reflect caring in a way that no filling of a material need could. Everyone needs someone to talk with and listen to them. 

Social Distancing started before the pandemic.

We all seem to up in arms at the ''social distancing'' posture we are being gently forced to take. But haven't we been on an evolutionary journey toward Social Distancing for the last decade? The road where digital communication has replaced ''talking?''

New rules for community.

Life is best lived in the context of community. We are social beings. It doesn't matter if you are an introvert or extrovert; we all need a safe place of community. It may look different between the two groups, but a connection is vital for a healthy life.

Who are you going to call?

"I called the last time." So what, does it matter who initiated the call? Missing a connection with someone should never be hindered by the pettiness of "I called last time."Just as much as you want to talk to them, they may need to hear your voice.

We are better in community.

Has forced Social Distancing been a wakeup call, pushing us to more meaningful connections? If so, GREAT.

Will it take the initiative to start the process? YES.

I have never been one to have a long phone conversation, but to really connect I don't know of any better way unless it is face-to-face. I am making a list of people I need to call.

Who is on your list?

We are better when we are in community.