Dear Harpeth Hills,

I visited my mother a few weeks ago, and Saturday morning did not begin as planned. The toilet started leaking at the floor, which by my way of thinking was not a good thing. After turning the water off, I went online and googled how to replace a toilet. The 3:40 video made it look easy. With a quick trip to the hardware store, a consultation with the next-door neighbor, a fair amount of prayer, and a hefty dose of luck, the repair was completed by noon.

I was not so much proud as I was shocked. I replaced a toilet by myself?? Whenever I called my mom over the next two weeks, I asked her if it had started leaking, because I just knew it would.

I polled the church two weeks ago, asking what Covid-19 lessons they had learned. One answer from a mid-60’s member struck me – “We have learned we can do hard things.”

I think many of us have a similar story. In the midst of loss and chaos and disruption and more than an occasional failure, we have surprised ourselves with what we can do when we simply have to.
• Be alone
• Learn to use tech
• Finally go to counseling
• Homeschool children
• Embrace stillness instead of fleeing from it
• Survive not seeing loved ones for extended periods of time
• Adjust to church online

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s most famous essay is entitled, “Self-Reliance.” I suppose it does not sound particularly Christian since we are supposed to be dependent on God. But still, learning you have an inner strength you did not know you possessed, realizing you can be less of a victim than you have been in the past, accepting loss and disappointment and moving forward anyway – all of this is good.

“We have learned we can do hard things.” Yes, we can.

Thank you, Jesus.

I love you.

—Chris Smith