“Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.” (Prov. 18:1)

In the last two weeks, I’ve attended two events where I sold my devotionals. These events were the first of their kind I’ve gone to in almost two years. The truth is, before the pandemic hit, I had decided not to attend these types of events. They are time consuming, and I struggle with the in-person sales part. But during the pandemic, my book sales tanked (not that they were that great to begin with, but I went from a few to almost none overnight). And I realized that in-person events were more beneficial than I realized for an unknown author like me.

Attending these two events also helped me realize something else: I had actually missed them. Not the sales part—but the interaction with those who stop to browse and the other sellers or authors. Especially the other authors.

When COVID began ramping up last fall and winter, all my meetings and events were moved to virtual platforms or canceled altogether. People began meeting in person again late in the spring, and many virtual events were moved to in person again. But I’ve been slow to transition back. Unfortunately, that means I lost connection with both my church and writer communities. I didn’t realize how isolated I had become until I got back out among people again.

Change is hard, and the last year and a half has been a series of one life-altering change after another. Life is a series of ups and downs, starts and stops, lessons learned and lessons applied. The lesson here is that I inadvertently isolated myself. The lesson to apply is not to let it happen again.

But the pandemic isn’t going away, and that means the in-person events I’ve rediscovered might not last long.

So what can I do to combat the isolation?

I can meet with friends one on one or in small groups and get out of the house when I can. That may mean going to a park or even a coffee shop or restaurant when it’s not busy. I didn’t like crowds before the pandemic, and that’s even more true now. I also need to remember that screens are not my enemy. Virtual interaction is better than none at all.

When I accept that I have to adapt in order to combat the isolation, then I’m better off. I can make adjustments, and with God’s help, after I adjust, I can thrive in my new role.

Dear Jesus, help me continue to adjust to the changes pandemic life brings. Accepting change isn’t easy, but with your help, I can do what’s necessary to stay connected to family and friends and to you. Amen.