Stepping Up Our Game During This Crisis
We ended our last post with this thought:
Just as we need to step up our game at work to manage our business during this economic crisis, so too let's step up our spiritual game during this blessed Easter Season. More on this next time...
So now it's next time. Let's expand on this. First, regarding business during this crisis.
The impact of this C-virus varies a lot when it comes to business. Look at two extremes: Some businesses, like Airlines, have lost 90%+ of their customers. Others, like Amazon, have been swamped with orders. Either way, people have had to step up their game.
For businesses who've lost a lot of revenue, some have simply laid people off. Restaurants, for example, really had no choice. Governments closed them down. Many, if not most, haven't been able to make take-out profitable. There's no point keeping the doors open in that case.
Some have tried to retain as many employees as possible - or at least pay employees something rather than lay them off. The federal government has offered assistance with that effort.
If your business has lost lots of revenue, you've got to step up your game: As an employer, tough decisions need to be made. As an employee, you may be faced with greatly reduced income at some point, even if you can collect unemployment insurance payments now. At the very least, it's a stressful time.
In the less common case of a business like Amazon or various food delivery services swamped with new orders, you may face having to find and hire new employees in a short period of time. You may have to ramp up production, keep order-flow moving. While this may be the better problem to have vs. losing revenue, it can still be stressful. You've got to up your game.
Maybe your business continues more or less as it did before the C-virus hits. From personal experience, I can tell you there's some relief in that. But even with such a smoother transition, the future remains unknown. A lot has and can still happen that none of us have ever faced before, and likely haven't imagined could happen. Even if you've prepared for the likelihood of a recession coming, you likely did not imagine it would happen as it has.
Those of us with businesses treading water in the midst of this storm may still face a slowdown in the near future. Or we may have family members who need a helping hand to get through this. It's likely we already are or will have to deal with some financial pressure one way or the other. We've got to up our game and be sure we continue to diligently attend to business, whatever challenges the economy or our personal circumstances might bring.
Just as we need to step up our game at work, so too we can and should step up our "spiritual game." As we discussed last time, we don't throw our Lenten discipline out the window when Easter arrives.
When Christ rose from the dead, His disciples didn't kick up their feet and relax. They had to pick up their game. First, they had to fully absorb and appreciate the mere fact of the Resurrection. Then they had to - slowly and with great effort - understand what Christ's Resurrection would mean, how it would change their lives. Our Lord spent 40 days on earth assisting them in this process. He sent His Holy Spirit on Pentecost to fully open their minds to deepen their understanding. Equipped with this knowledge and understanding - and the help of Divine Grace - they commenced to spread the Good News to every corner of the world, as Jesus had commanded. Most of them would be rewarded for their efforts with the crown of martyrdom.
What about us? With the graces from the diligent practice of our Lenten discipline, we can and should step up our game now. Last time we made specific suggestions about how we might do that. Whatever spiritual progress we made during Lent - even if it isn't apparent to us now - will serve to help us. But we have to have the sincere intention to step up our game to take full advantage of the little treasures of grace we may have received.
We'll have more to say about these treasures next time. For now, let's simply open our hearts and minds to the graces that flow to us as a result of our Lord's Resurrection from the Dead. God has worked to strengthen our spiritual foundation during Lent. Allow Him to continue His work now during our glorious Easter Season.
Just as we need to step up our game at work to manage our business during this economic crisis, so too let's step up our spiritual game during this blessed Easter Season. More on this next time...
So now it's next time. Let's expand on this. First, regarding business during this crisis.
The impact of this C-virus varies a lot when it comes to business. Look at two extremes: Some businesses, like Airlines, have lost 90%+ of their customers. Others, like Amazon, have been swamped with orders. Either way, people have had to step up their game.
For businesses who've lost a lot of revenue, some have simply laid people off. Restaurants, for example, really had no choice. Governments closed them down. Many, if not most, haven't been able to make take-out profitable. There's no point keeping the doors open in that case.
Some have tried to retain as many employees as possible - or at least pay employees something rather than lay them off. The federal government has offered assistance with that effort.
If your business has lost lots of revenue, you've got to step up your game: As an employer, tough decisions need to be made. As an employee, you may be faced with greatly reduced income at some point, even if you can collect unemployment insurance payments now. At the very least, it's a stressful time.
In the less common case of a business like Amazon or various food delivery services swamped with new orders, you may face having to find and hire new employees in a short period of time. You may have to ramp up production, keep order-flow moving. While this may be the better problem to have vs. losing revenue, it can still be stressful. You've got to up your game.
Maybe your business continues more or less as it did before the C-virus hits. From personal experience, I can tell you there's some relief in that. But even with such a smoother transition, the future remains unknown. A lot has and can still happen that none of us have ever faced before, and likely haven't imagined could happen. Even if you've prepared for the likelihood of a recession coming, you likely did not imagine it would happen as it has.
Those of us with businesses treading water in the midst of this storm may still face a slowdown in the near future. Or we may have family members who need a helping hand to get through this. It's likely we already are or will have to deal with some financial pressure one way or the other. We've got to up our game and be sure we continue to diligently attend to business, whatever challenges the economy or our personal circumstances might bring.
Just as we need to step up our game at work, so too we can and should step up our "spiritual game." As we discussed last time, we don't throw our Lenten discipline out the window when Easter arrives.
When Christ rose from the dead, His disciples didn't kick up their feet and relax. They had to pick up their game. First, they had to fully absorb and appreciate the mere fact of the Resurrection. Then they had to - slowly and with great effort - understand what Christ's Resurrection would mean, how it would change their lives. Our Lord spent 40 days on earth assisting them in this process. He sent His Holy Spirit on Pentecost to fully open their minds to deepen their understanding. Equipped with this knowledge and understanding - and the help of Divine Grace - they commenced to spread the Good News to every corner of the world, as Jesus had commanded. Most of them would be rewarded for their efforts with the crown of martyrdom.
What about us? With the graces from the diligent practice of our Lenten discipline, we can and should step up our game now. Last time we made specific suggestions about how we might do that. Whatever spiritual progress we made during Lent - even if it isn't apparent to us now - will serve to help us. But we have to have the sincere intention to step up our game to take full advantage of the little treasures of grace we may have received.
We'll have more to say about these treasures next time. For now, let's simply open our hearts and minds to the graces that flow to us as a result of our Lord's Resurrection from the Dead. God has worked to strengthen our spiritual foundation during Lent. Allow Him to continue His work now during our glorious Easter Season.
Happy Easter!
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