It was the first day of Spring here but it didn’t feel like it. The Coronavirus Pandemic was sweeping the globe and everywhere there were feelings of uncertainty, fear, loneliness and even despair. “Social Distancing” had become the new norm. Here the schools had been closed, the restaurant dining rooms shut, and people had been told to work from home whenever they could. Even the sheltered workshop where my oldest son worked had been closed until further notice. People had made a run on the stores and large areas of the shelves were bare. On the news the numbers of sick and dead continued to rise. It felt like there was a weight on the souls of everyone in the world.

My own family was staying at home as much as possible and as I looked out my window I wondered how long this crisis would last. It was then, however, that I saw something that lifted that weight off of my soul, made my face smile, and made my heart feel happy again. On the street below my house there was an old friend of mine from high school who was a teacher there now. With him was my younger son’s former aide from the high school as well. They were delivering the school lunches door to door to the hungry children who were stuck at home. Watching them made me think of something everyone’s childhood television neighbor, Mr. Roger’s once said: “In the bad times. Always look for the helpers.”

I have no doubt this crisis will pass as all the crisis before it have. But it is our choice on whether it brings out the best in us or the worst in us. Let it bring out the best in you. Use it to strengthen your faith. Use it to free yourself from fear. Use it to grow kinder, more giving, and more loving. Become a helper to all those in need and you will be doing God’s work today and in all the days to come.