What’s Saving My Life Right Now (2021 Edition)

In a year of transitions, craziness due to COVID and elections, and just life in general, sanity can sometimes be difficult to find. Finding what grounds us and keeps us sane is essential to not only living but being resilient in an ever changing world. Every year Modern Ms Darcy encourages bloggers to link up with her about what is keeping us sane or what is saving our life right now. The premise is what saves our life as a season such as winter drags on.

Our current season has my husband and I living in our travel trailer and working remotely. For the month of February, we are parked in California near where both our son and daughter and son in law live. Here are few of my life savers.

The Outside

Even if it is cold outside, I try to bundle up and at least take a walk or run. Something about being outside puts me in a better mood and calms me. Thankfully we have been in the southern states for most of the winter so we have been able to enjoy some hikes or even sitting outside by the fire pit. On a few days, I was even able to “office” outside. One of the benefits of remote work.

Work

For this season, I have three different contract jobs. It sounds like a lot but in reality, they are still only add up to part time work. I love that these jobs give me structure to my days and some income for my family. I also love the flexibility that I have with them. But most of all, I love that I get to do something that I love– teach math. As the year goes on, one of the jobs will require more time, but I am thankful that I get to ease into the increased hours.

Bagged Salads

When we lived oversea, eating salad was a chore. Washing the lettuce was tedious, and I often still didn’t get all the sand out. Here in the states, I am loving the bagged salads with all the toppings. I know they are not cost efficient but for the two of us in an RV, they make a great lunch. Cut up some meat. Toast some bread. Open up a salad. Eat. Often repeat the next day. The bagged salads also allow us to have more variety in dressings as our small frig doesn’t have a lot of space.

Transition Friends

I have a couple of friends who have moved back to the States after being overseas in the past year. Even though they don’t live near me, they are only a text or FaceTime call away. We laugh with each other as we share stories about our cultural mistakes. We empathize with each other as we share both the highs and the lows. But mostly, we have a friend who understands the mixed feelings of missing there and figuring out the here.

Knowing Who God Is

Most of my life, I studied the Bible looking for what I could apply to my life. It has only been in the last couple of years that I was directed to another approach-looking for what the Bible says about God. It is easy to want to dive into an application, but I am trying to slow down and focus on the relationship. Knowing God is a lifelong pursuit, and I am just at the beginning.

What does this look like for me? Most days it is looking for God as the center of the story. What is God or Jesus doing? What does that tell me about Him? Other days especially when I am in the Psalms or prophets, I look up the meaning for the name of God that is used. This process has grounded me. Even though my view of God is getting bigger, I take comfort that He is not changing. When my focus is on Him and who He is, I can handle the craziness of the daily so much better.

What about you? What is saving your life right now? Any suggestions on a bagged salad I need to try?