Just Dan Grant

First time I ever heard that phrase was from my mother. “I have just about had enough” was a pretty common utterance in our house, and justifiably so. I mean we had moments of driving our mother to the brink of insanity on a weekly basis, if not daily. Four children, three boys and one girl, each with a different personality, one hearing impaired, and three that just didn’t listen. We would go after each other, two would team up against the other two, one would be at odds with all three, and at some point we would join forces to destroy the house.

And then Mom would just about have enough.

We knew then, that to proceed, was to risk death, dismemberment, or worse, Dad would employ some kind of “creative discipline” method to correct behavior. Ever been tied to a sibling with enough length of rope so you can use the bathroom while the other stands outside? Odd, cruel, but effective. Pretty sure that was implemented when Mom had just about enough one of those many times.

I am starting to feel like I have just about had enough.

As we step into a new month, we are seven months into what may be remembered as one of the biggest events in world history. I don’t want to be so crass as to put this in the same list as the Great Depression or a World War, but we are talking about an event that has affected the world as a whole, and it will be some time before we see the end of its effects. This year has changed the way we do so many things, has polarized our views politically, has made us revaluate common practices and habits, and sadly, has divided us as a nation.

I think there is one factor in why this event may not belong in the same category as so many others – unity. Our country – our world has faced major upheavals before, but in those events, we were united in one common goal. Whether it was to work together to survive a depression, defeat an enemy, or rebuild from a disaster, we did it together.

We aren’t together anymore. We are in this together, but we aren’t in this together.

Walk 6 feet in any direction (see what I did there?) in any store and you will find a difference of opinion, a staunch belief in what is going on, a different experience over the past several months that has brought them to their conclusion. What is right is customizable for each individual, what is wrong is subject to change week by week and day by day.

It also seems like we just can’t get along like we used to. I have personally never seen so many altercations in public, in broad daylight, in normally civil places then I have in the recent past. There’s a marked lack of patience, respect, and kindness in our community. Everyone is just so afraid of everything, and in their fear they resort to fight or flight mode. Ready to fight others or run away from them.

I think the lack of togetherness is what brings me to the point of just about having enough. I believe we can get through a lot as a nation, a people, a church, a family – but we have to do so together. But I have a bad feeling that we may not see the unification of our nation again any time soon.

So how do we get back together again?

• Family
  • I hope we are still spending time together as families. We have started to experience more freedom and can get out and about again, but honestly, the pandemic did a lot of good for family time. Eating meals as a family, being home in the evenings more often than not, finding activities to occupy our time, and other efforts to stave off cabin fever, really did a good thing for the family unit. Strong families help create strong communities.
• Faith
  • So many businesses, small and large, took a major hit from the economy being shut down. Churches were not exempt. Pews are empty, services are cancelled, and doors are shut. What saddens me is as stores and shops open up, folks visit in droves, but as churches open up – the response is different. Shopping is safe, but worship is not. My fear is that we just got used to having the convenience of church in our pajamas on the couch – it has truly become a spectator sport for so many. I can’t help but think that a lack of in-person worship has affected us in more ways than we realize. Strong churches help create strong communities.
• Fellowship
  • It struck me a few weeks ago, in an address by the Governor, that the number one activity that resulted in increased sickness was – family gatherings. It stuck in my mind for two reasons 1) People will risk anything for the chance of a potluck, burgers, or wings 2) People need other people. I discovered a few things relationally during these few months: my neighbors have names, there are good people in my life that I need to spend more time with, and we are losing the art of opening our homes. I am so glad that we have been able to have people come into our house again. It has strengthened relationships like never before. Strong relationships help create strong communities.

People have asked the question of what are we going to say as we look back 10, 20, or 30 years from now? How are we going to explain this to our children and grandchildren? How are things going to look in the next few years?!

Lots of questions. Not many real or positive answers. But one thing is for sure. We won’t be able to make it to that looking back point on our own. We will have to do it together. And I have just about had enough of not feeling like we are.