The Beauty of “Unplugging” by Lisa Burkhardt Worley

It’s easy to get caught up in all the latest updates on COVID-19. We can stay glued to FOX News or CNN, or we can pass around the latest theories about the virus through Facebook Messenger. We can also worry that we won’t have enough toilet paper to ride out the storm.

But there’s something therapeutic about unplugging from it all, and that is exactly what I did yesterday.

I weeded a garden box in my yard (it still needs a little more work).

I swept off the patio furniture.

I bathed my dog, Jewel.

And I chatted with a couple of friends while lounging on my porch, not worrying about the to-do list sitting on my kitchen table.

I didn’t work on any ministry. I didn’t write. I didn’t strategize.

And it felt good to unplug.

In order to maintain our sanity during this time of isolation, even though we can’t really leave our homes, we can leave the stress by participating in some “no-brainer” activities like yard work, reading a book or cleaning out the pantry (on my list today).

Our Savior understood how important it was to unplug. Luke 5:16 says, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” The Greek word for “withdrew” also means “To retire, go back, retreat.” Sometimes we have to unplug to give our minds a retreat so that we don’t get overloaded and overwhelmed with the continuing surge of information about the Coronavirus. The electricity of it all can zap us.

And what I find when I unplug is that I reacquaint myself with the simple things. I admire the beauty of a budding tree. I hear the sound of ducks journeying overhead, normally tuned out in my busyness,

And I admire the sway of the bushes lining my back fence, slow dancing in the gentle breeze.

There’s peace when we unplug.

If you are feeling the angst of the Coronavirus Pandemic, it may be time to give your mind a rest. Psalm 23 says when we rest, God restores our soul. The Hebrew word for “restore” also means “to bring back.” We can refresh ourselves and bring our minds back to peaceful thoughts simply by disconnecting.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).