Daze 5: Home Bound or Homebound?

This morning I was going to write about Korona Kids. Maybe tomorrow. But instead, it seems like life with this virus pops its head in and out of so many of my thoughts. So I began thinking about being home bound, here in our quarantined environment, here in our lovely home, here in my aging body, here in my hungry heart for it to be over. I don't really mind that I can't go out. I love the daily schedule with our grandsons coming over from across the street, every morning like clockwork, to play Catan with me. They are so competitive! I'm exhausted when they leave! But it's nice having a solid piece planned in our mishmash of a daily schedule.

Besides, I don't think it's really that I can't go out but rather that I get to stay at home. Think about that--two different lenses through which to view it all. I can either view that I get to stay home and am free from outside obligations, or that I'm restrained from doing what I want and think I should be able to do. So today, I choose the first lens.

I think the same is true of my view of God's goodness in our present circumstances. As my friend Paul Petrie once said--I can either view my circumstances with God as my filter OR I can view God with my circumstances as my filter. I don't want to see all this as my choice. I know God is good and will work this out for more good than I can presently imagine. 

Meanwhile, I'll write about it. So here's today's poem, Homebound, and some important truths from 2 Corinthians 4: 7-9: But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
 

Homebound

My life is feeling home bound—

I can’t leave home or land.

No shopping, meetings, traveling

            No lunches with a friend.

So what will be the outcome,

            Of this waiting without end?

My body too is home bound.

            It’s moving less and less.

Now I can’t bend down and get stuff,

            Even clean up a small mess.

One day it will be over,

            No more pain, no distress.

My heart is home bound hungry

            It needs to be filled up.

What can this virus offer,

            On which to eat and sup?

One day it will be over, and

            He will fill my cup.

One day it will be over,

            This virus will be no more.

One day it will be memory,

            Lived on a faraway shore.

One day it will seem distant,

            Like any other war.

There’s more to life than happiness,

            More than a healed virus can bring.

My heart is Homebound going,

            And then my heart will sing.

My hope is found in Jesus.

            In me death has no sting.

For I’m longing to be Home,

            With bended knee I’ll bow

So it is with all my heart,

I take this solemn vow,

I choose to follow Jesus and,

           Run into His eternal Now.