Yesterday, when I tried to make lunch, our electric stove kind of blew up. Kind of, because it made a soft poof sound and smoke began to rise from one of its knobs. I turned it off quickly. This prompted me to stop work and for Harold to wake up from his scheduled sleep. He works in the night shift.
We called the owner. She was surprised that the stove was still working. She assumed that we just bought a new one. We didnât. So, we had no choice but to go out. We traveled to three different supermarkets. We couldnât find any, the supermarkets had no stock. But what we did find were these: clean and empty streets, clearer skies, and air that was very easy to breathe.
We tried to go to another supermarket. By this time, I was already tired. Frustrated, I asked Harold: âSa tingin mo, pagkatapos ng lahat ng ito, babalik lang lahat ng tao sa dati?â He looked at me and said, âHmm. Hindi natin sure. Pero ito na siguro yung magiging ânew normalâ natin.â
The words ânew normalâ kept resounding in my head as we traveled back home. Ano nga ba yung ânew normalâ for me?
I made a list of things that were seemingly my ânew normalâ and hereâs what Iâve got:
Being able to sit down and read.
Being able to write my thoughts down and reflect.
Being able to write new stories or at least, look back at old unfinished ones.
Being able to work comfortably and without too much pressure.
Being able to connect with friends so easilyâwhether it be via chat or video calls.
Being able to focus on things that really matter.
Being able to slow down and making the conscious effort to read Godâs Word.
I realized that the things that seemed like my ânew normalâ were actually things I have been doing before but stopped doing because of a number of things: 1) I felt too pressured to deliver, 2) I felt anxious about not being good enough or my stories not being interesting enough, 3) I felt isolated, and 4) I felt like I had little to no time to actually do these things.
Pastor Joe said it rightâthis pandemic might just be a reset button for all of us.
Thereâs this one question that Harold and I have been thinking about since the lock down began: âWhatâs the first thing youâd do after this pandemic ends?â
I want to rephrase that because whatever weâre in now might just be our ânew normalâ then: âWhat are we all doing now that we would still want to be doing right after it ends?â
I would want to do those things Iâve listed above.
To end the story about our electric stove exploding⌠at around five in the afternoon, as we were in the middle of a line in the closest SM Supermarket we could get to, my Uncle Choy called up and told me that he found an induction stove in his bodega that we could use temporarily. That call gave us comfort. We picked up the appliance from his house.
And today, quarantine passes were issued here in our building. Only one person from each household can leave the premises. Had the mishap we went through yesterday occurred today, weâd definitely be having a hard time.
And that reminded me how God perfectly orchestrates everything. Truly, He never fails.
Many are the plans in a personâs heart, but it is the Lordâs purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21
May your ânew normalâ be something that would bring you back to yourself and bring you closer to God⌠just like mine did. Blessings!Â
