These last few months where the world has been effectively on pause has been a huge strain on so many of us. In Iowa, things are gradually starting to resume and life is starting to have a normal sense of flow again. People are out in their yards, walking on sidewalks and enjoying conversations with their neighbors, going back to work… personally, it’s all very relieving to see. That’s not to say that the shutdown was an entire waste, even if in the worst case, it was a largely misguided and poorly executed effort. Out of necessity, I think, the shutdown became a time of reflection for many, to the destruction of some and the building up of others. The wheels had stopped turning, and all that kept us occupied ground to a halt. As I talked to people, it became obvious that without the constant bustle of commerce, anxieties bubbled freely to the surface of our chronically preoccupied minds. I know for me, I couldn’t help but explore the question: “What is it all for?” Earthly Prosperity
Longing For Sleep It's Two O'clock in the morning as I'm writing this. The longer I live, the more I observe how often people struggle with exhaustion. I can't count on two hands how many conversations I have had with people experiencing burnout, or fatigue. Yet so often, it is a season; it comes and goes with the passage of a few days. For me though, it may be an even more prevalent reality than is usual, since I have sleep apnea and I have worked the night shift for about seven years. Truth is, the reach of profound tiredness stretches far back into my past. During high school, I fell out of my chair during driver's ed class, fast asleep as I dropped from my seat. The driver's ed instructor said I twitched when I hit the floor. I was one of the top graded students in his class, but he told my mom he was concerned about me. In college, I couldn't keep my eyes open during class, and nearby classmates would take pictures of me with my head p