Friend, Do You Have Belly Button Syndrome?

 Yes, you heard me right. Belly Button Syndrome.

While it may not be listed in any official books that list other types of syndromes, or recognized by any medical organizations, BBS is a real and current issue for nearly every person alive, especially during the Covid-19 Pandemic that we are all struggling to adapt to.

If I sit and think for a minute ( as if that were a real possibility when you have a busy 3 year old) I believe it was my mother that introduced me to this concept, so I in no way to take credit for the visual, but I am going to write about how this syndrome affects people (specifically Christians are addressed in this post) and what we can do to stop it.

First, look down at your belly button.

What do you see? The correct answer is: your belly button and maybe parts of your stomach. ( stretch marks anyone? Ha! )

When we are fearful, anxious, generally selfish, busy and overwhelmed, we are all prone to getting this syndrome.

Let's address this in the context of this pandemic:  You are probably (hopefully!) sheltered in place, juggling working from home, taking care of children, trying to keep up the house and desparately attempting to keep some kind of balance. You are dealing with lots of mental and emotional stress as you are trying juggle all the emotions of the people you are living with or connecting with at work, as well as trying to find a moment for YOU to breathe.

Just going to the grocery store for "essentials" is a huge burden, as you have to somehow manage to find things on your list ( if they are even in stock), stay 6 feet away from people AND follow arrows down the aisles, which ends up taking twice as long just to GET to the products you need to purchase, simaltaneously.

You tell yourself that you are going to "create a new routine" to give some stability to all the craziness, but you are quickly met with a moment of defeat and decide that you aren't going to get out of your pajama's today and that work out DVD will have to wait.

By the end of the day, you are mentally and emotionally exhausted. You try to "stay positive" and find humor in things, maybe color, read, or eat a little more chocolate, all in an effort to "keep going".

Does this sound the slighest bit familiar? Can you relate?

Now, for the belly button.

All of these things are examples of what can cause us to look down and in, rather than up towards Jesus and out towards others.

Before I continue, let me be sure to communicate something very important:

Due to mental illness, past hardships, PTSD, and the general load of an individual, there are some that are not able to ecscape BBS. It is either a season for them in which the rest of us are to be compassionate and reach out to them, or it's a permanant reality that they need to manage.

But the rest of us? Here is what we can do to avoid BBS:

1) Send an encouraging card in the mail, or a sincere text message that tells the receiptant that you care.

2)  Spend time in Gods Word and ask Him to lay people on your heart to pray for.

3) Haven't heard from someone in awhile and they cross your mind? Call them and tell them that they have.

4) Write an intentional list of all the things that God has blessed you with so far this year. List even things that seem mundane, like shelter and food.

5)  Be honest with others about your struggles right now. Be transparent in a way that tells others that it's okay for them to be transparent and vulnerable as well. While "there is always a silver lining" has its time and place, we must be willing to not use it as a cop out to be vulnerable and talk about the hard stuff.

6)  Write a letter to a missionary or pastor, including encouraging Scripture verses that will uplift them.

7)  Can you sew? Sew some masks to help contribute to the thousands upon thousands that need them right now, or blankets for those who are in the hospital beds.

8)  If you have little's, have them color pictures and then send them to the Activity Director of a local nursing home. Tell him or her to share the pictures with residents who need some cheering up.

9) Purchase flowers and plants from your local nursery, as many of these business owners are losing thousands of dollars by the week. Call them ahead of time and see if there is a way they can pick something out for you, and you can pay on the phone or an invoice through email or text,  then drop it off as a "random acts of kindness" on someone's door step.

10) Coordinate a "coffee date" via Zoom. Find a spot outside or away from your family for a bit, make your cup of coffee and enjoy with a friend. Make a point to ask her pointed questions about how she is really doing, and say at least one encouraging affirmation to her before the call is up.

How about you? Leave your ideas in the comments below. Let us be an encouragement to one another!

 You see friend, it is when we get outside of ourselves by looking up and looking forward that will keep up afloat and prevent us from drowning in ourselves. It is the enemy that wants you to wallow in self; it makes his job so easy to discourage, promote fear and anxiety, leaving you with absolutely no energy or ability to rise to the needs of others and gain perspective on your own challenges.

But you know what? NONE of these suggestions are the slightest bit valuable and effective without doing them with the goal of pointing them to Jesus Christ, the absolute proven cure for Belly Button Syndrome.

"So Jesus again said to them "truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."- John 10:7-10
 
 It's not about us, and it's not about others. It's about the deep, sacrificial love of Christ. It is that truth that should run through every vein of our intentions, especially when it comes to looking at our own belly button.