You Need The Great Outdoors
A Friendly PSA – You Need The Great Outdoors
Dear Christian friends reading this – this post is going to be a little different.
This has been a very tough year for all of us, hasn’t it?
We’re dealing with a horrible virus, alarming statistics, escalating violence from the godless – and on top of all that, it’s a volatile election year, the likes of which I’ve never seen.
To go with all of the above, we have governor-signed mask mandates that end up killing businesses and entertainment venues, putting a damper on family get-togethers, including every holiday so far this year since March.
The psychological damage this virus has caused to our most vulnerable, like our senior adults and young children, is very real.
Chronic stress, PTSD, and even depression from being isolated are all valid concerns. – Dr. Parker Huston, Pediatric Psychologist.1
Dr. Huston adds, “Some kids will report fears in other areas that are triggered by general anxiety – I’m too scared to play in the backyard, or too scared riding in the car . . . Appetite changes, drastic behavior changes, those are things we look for and tell parents to keep an eye on them.”
It’s all enough to make you want to stay inside your home under the covers all day, just to shut the world out and have some peace.
Fresh Air in the Great Outdoors
Trust me, I get it.
This year has been awful, but. . .
You knew there was a “but” coming, right?
If you are healthy, please do not stay cooped up inside all day.
You have to get outside during the day, even if you don’t much feel like it.
Turn off the 24/7 television news and, at least, go for a walk outside with your loved ones every single day.
Consider at least 15 minutes of sunshine and exercise every day. (Call your doctor if you have any questions).
You need your intake of D3, which you can get from food, but also from being safely outside in the great outdoors.
We need the fresh air, we need the sunlight, and we are blessed when we can get outside and enjoy God’s creation.
Your health is worth it.
How can we be effective for the gospel if we get sick?
I’m not talking about sick from the virus here, but from ailments triggered by a lack of vitamin D3, such as potential “bone deformities and pain.”
Spending a little time in the beautiful outdoors can be a mood-lifter, and who doesn’t need that these days?
If we increase the amount of fresh oxygen we are breathing in, it will help our white blood cell count and let our white blood cells function properly. Our white blood cells are what we need to fight and kill bacteria and germs, and right now we want our white blood cells to be functioning at the highest level that it can. – Haley Hiller, Clinical Educator, UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital.2
Here’s Something Worth Celebrating
God is not silent during all of this world mess.
You won’t hear it on the news, but people are being saved all over the world.
That’s something to celebrate!
Becoming a Christian is not a secret; it’s a celebration! Tell all who will listen about Christ’s work in your life. In some cases, other people will come to faith in Jesus through the example you share. Just before Jesus ascended to heaven, He commanded His disciples to make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:18-20). Today, Christians are still called to share the hope within us with others (1 Peter 3:15-16). – Got Questions website.3
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1 Quotation from Dr. Parker Huston, Pediatric Psychologist from Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “Mask Side Effects on a Child’s Mental Health are real.” [10 WBNS-TV interview]. August 19, 2020, Web. Accessed October 9, 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.10tv.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/mask-side-effects-on-a-childs-mental-health-are-real/530-c9e2a21d-6983-40ab-9f88-21d8d5b50839
2 Quotation from Clinical Educator Hailey Hiller, UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. “Checking in with Susan Koeppen.” [2 KDKA-TV interview]. April 9, 2020, Web. Accessed October 9, 2020. Retrieved from: https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/04/09/sunshine-fresh-air-coronavirus-pandemic-going-outside-advice/
3 Quotation from gotquestions.org, from “I am a new christian. What is the next step?” n.d., para. 11. Web. Accessed October 10, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.gotquestions.org/new-Christian.html
