Backwards & Inside Out

A little over a week ago we were at Zion Nation Park.  I woke up after very few minutes of sleep early Saturday morning.  You see, I have this thing - a syndrome maybe.  I can NEVER sleep the first night I'm at the foot of a new National Park.  It is like the night before Christmas for me - I simply cannot wait to get into the park, explore the new area, and embark on adventures that Bilbo Baggins would approve of.  On top of the excitement of exploring Zion, I was facing crazy anxiety over the COVID-19 spread and being in Utah.  We wanted to be home to stop the spread but had no practical way of coming home early.  The night was full of tossing, turning, excitement, and anxiety.

The next morning I was simply glad it was time to be awake.  My nervous/excited energy was still flowing with little need even for coffee!  We were up early, off to breakfast at the hotel, and then onward to Zion!

At breakfast, we had become a Zion community in Springdale, Utah.  All the families were talking and discussing the latest news and how quickly the virus had exploded.  We shared fears, concerns, disappointments, and hopes of returning home as quickly as possible.  I tried to smile, listen, and be as cheerful as possible as I listened to families share their stories.  I hoped my smile would calm my anxious heart and possible be a ray of sunshine to someone else.

Until I returned to my hotel room and looked in the mirror!

My bright smile and bags under my eyes quickly turned to horror as I realized I was wearing my running leggings inside out and backwards.  Awesome, Kristie, Awesome!  I thought of all the families I talked to with a bright band of white wording across my front and a tag sticking out in the back.  Super awesome, Kristie!  My horror quickly turned into a fit of giggles as I realized how ridiculous I looked this morning talking to families with my pants on backwards AND inside out.  Who does that?!?!

Except - it didn't matter.  Did the families notice?  Absolutely.  How could they have not!?  It was sooooo obvious.  Did they care?  No.  Because right now, this world is backwards and inside out.  Nothing feels normal.  Nothing feels right.  Nothing feels secure.  Not even my pants.  They didn't stare, giggle, or politely tell me because I believe they were craving community.  My breakfast friends needed someone to listen, someone to smile, and someone to share their life with - as did I!! !!! Heck, maybe we all had our pants inside out and backwards as we were trying to navigate what each minute, hour, and day meant in Springdale, Utah.

Now, they all may be thinking back to this morning and remembering the girl from Iowa with her pants on incorrectly.  (maybe even blogging about me too - *giggle!*)  Or could they possibly remember me as Iowa nice?  The girl from Iowa who cared.  The girl from Iowa who listened.  The girl from Iowa who smiled.

Because this is how I remember them.  Each family became a part of my story - they were a breath of encouragement, hope, and community - and I'm forever thankful for each and every single person we met:

*The mom, dad, and 2 year old daughter from Florida who connected with us because our kids similar pajamas and love for hiking
*The family from Texas who loved we were from Iowa because they watch Iowa Farming on the You Tube channel (you guys - this is really a thing!  I think they even wanted our autographs!)
*The twins from Minnesota who played with our boys and kept asking us what our hotel room was so they could come and watch cartoons
*The two friends who climbed to the top of Scouts landing with us and we offered each other encouragement to the top and then ran into each other at Sedona, AZ on Cathedral Rock - WHOA - fun reunion!
*The group of college students who wore Christian t-shirts with Scripture that gave me hope - such hope.  Seek ye first the Kingdom of God.
*The husband and wife who came up to me and whispered "We are Lutheran too!  You can do this!" when they saw my LCC shirt.
*The guys from Utah who captured our expressions on camera as my kids climbed to the top of a steep cliff and saw how high we were for the first time.
*The husband and wife and baby who flew to the West to get married but had to cancel their wedding due to COVID.  "At least we're together" they told me - that's what really matters.

I don't remember what clothes they wore, the brand of hiking shoes, the kind of water pack they carried, or if their pants were on correctly.  But I do remember how they made me feel.  I do remember their kindness, smiles, and stories as we united in very uncertain circumstances.

Things may look and feel really weird right now in a backwards and inside out world.  My hope is we can walk through this time feeling closer together, more unified, and kinder than ever as we reach out, connect with people, and simply hear and share our stories.  May your pants be on correctly :)

**Quick note:  We did travel over Spring break and left a week before the virus became a National Emergency.    We truly did try to come home after we discovered the terms "flatten the curve" and "social distancing" but we were stuck out West.  We understand the responsibility of our decision to travel and are taking this time very seriously to isolate ourselves and make sure we don't spread the virus.  We pray we did not cause harm and would have cancelled our trip had we known the speed and severity of the situation.**