Purpose

When I was first widowed, I adopted the attitude of saying “yes” to as many opportunities as possible. “I’d love to travel with you to Israel.” “Of course, I’ll join you and the kids in Disney World.” And not only yes to new adventures, but also yes to interruptions, volunteer respite care, and visiting the dying. Saying yes can be challenging after a major setback that drives us to our couches with stacks of books and pots of tea. When we’ve lost something of significant value—our health, rewarding work, a loved one—we want the comfort of the familiar. But getting off the couch and speaking yes means we trust God with the unexpected events we wouldn’t have written into our stories. It

It started with one word: shutdown. At first, it wasn’t really noticeable. I went about my days as best I could, navigating the “new normal,” and even reveling in the fact that I had more time to slow down and enjoy life. I was reading more books, I was doing more one-on-one activities with my girls, and I started spending more of my days on social media to stay connected with people. I was so thankful for technology and the ability to get updates on friends and family from afar. I was grateful for the accessibility of news reports and pandemic updates. But over time, I became consumed by the dark side of social media, and like a slow leak in a