Three stories. What do they have in common?
The team is showing fatigue, there’s 11 seconds left in the game, and our opponent is only down one point. We get a costly turnover as the ball is mishandled out of bounds. “Timeout!” said the coach. Before the ball is back in-play, we have to clear our heads of the mistakes made in the last possession, because we cannot change the past. We may have to substitute tired players with players on the bench that are energized and motivated to turn the tide in our favor. We certainly have to lock-in defensively and use all our collective energy to protect our point advantage and secure the victory. You can bet that was coach’s reasoning behind the timeout call. You can bet that’s the message in the team huddle. You don’t even have to be on the team.
The class is making cards to send to the men and women of the armed services. The teacher has succeeded in getting everyone excited about the joy their cards will give to the men and women who protect our freedoms. One student can’t contain themselves and is running about with scissors in hand. “Timeout!” said the teacher. Before anyone gets hurt, the child needs to sit alone and watch the other children behaving as instructed. The child knows the class rules, but just needs to practice a bit more self-control. A few minutes in timeout is all a, usually well behaved, student needs to make the behavior adjustment.
The people of the world are so divided. It’s “every man for himself”, and the means are always justifiable if the price is right. Pollution and poverty, in some places, has never been worse. Mention the word “pastor” or “priest” and thoughts of greed, corruption, and pedophilia come to mind. Worldwide, similar skepticism and lack of trust exists for the elected official and the media. As the children grow older, more self-sufficient, and secure more wealth, status and success, the family is reduced to a band of moochers and are excommunicated, replaced with friends and business partners. Mankind is consumed by our greed and obsession for more wealth, fame, and all that comes with it, to the point that we don’t care what comes with it, or what it takes to obtain it. Some overeat daily, living a lifestyle widely documented as unhealthy, with no interest in doing better, while others are a picture of good health engaging in nothing that puts themselves at a disadvantage, even if it means helping someone less fortunate. Selfishness comes in many forms, and how creative we are at personifying it. “Timeout!” said the creator.
As selfish as we tend to be, most people have good intentions. We spend our time and energy chasing after wealth and opportunity, because it is what we were taught to do, because we want better lives for our children, and because if we don’t, we believe we won’t survive. If we don’t save ourselves, we don’t believe there will be anyone to save us. We don’t believe anyone will care if we don’t come up with the money needed to pay our debts. We live as though we are in this world alone. The timeout of this pandemic has caused many to realize that we are not alone. Suddenly, we are forced to acknowledge our global struggle. Creditors, Insurers, and other Service Providers are making concessions as they attempt to ease the shared burden of their customers. Many have concluded that we need to be more concerned with the lives and activities of others, because their troubles of yesterday can be our troubles of tomorrow. Air pollution is down, and nature is responding to our inactivity. We have had to face our respective health conditions and the vulnerabilities associated with our poor health choices. As we contemplate our mortality, people are returning to their faith and family. We are remembering who we really are, and we are evaluating how far off track we’ve drifted. The wrong information or directive can lead to death, and truthful information has never seemed so important from the podiums of our highest offices and professions. Sheltering in-place, we are forced to trust the word of our governments and scientists. Humbly, we depend on our fellow man to do the right thing to “flatten the curve” and prevent outbreak.
When the game-plan isn’t being executed as practiced on the court or field, the coach calls timeout to make adjustments and get the team back on track to avoid losing the game. When a teacher or parent places a child in time out, they intend to calm the child and give the child time to evaluate their actions, their parent’s or teacher’s expectations, and how the two are not aligned. When unexpected circumstances in life cause you to stand still or prevent you from going about your life as you wish, sometimes, that’s God’s way of placing you in timeout. Whether it be loss of work, illness, near death experience, or death of someone you love. There are things that happen that give us pause. We begin to contemplate our mortality, our life’s purpose, our habits, our choices, and how it all ties together. If we’re honest, we don’t always pass our own self-evaluations. Our habits don’t always align with our goals or what we believe our purpose is, but should they?
