WFH: From Zoom to Zumba

All the tips to thrive from Pastor Edward Lim, who has been working from home for 23 years!

I’ve been working from home for 23 years. Whenever I tell people that I work from home, their response is usually, “Wow! You are so privileged. I wish I could work from home too.” Guess what? Thanks to the pandemic, it is a wish come true for many of them.

To me, working from home was never on my bucket list as I was contented to just be a salaryman. But it has turned out to be an unexpected (and greatly appreciated) blessing for responding to God’s call but that’s another story altogether.

Since the start of the circuit breaker period, my wife and adult daughters have joined me in working from home. Thankfully, with a little bit of adjustment and dash of creativity, each of us has found our own spot to work at home without getting into each other’s way. We also have our own routines, but with family time woven in. From Zoom to Zumba, here are what I have learnt these past weeks:

1. Find time for others

As we work in the confines of our home, let us not forget that many others are doing likewise. Worst yet, there may be some who may not even have work to do. Find time to check in with others regularly. Message or call them. Then, pray for them. If they have lost their job or gotten a pay cut, extend a helping hand in whatever way you can. This is a perfect time to be God’s arm to those around us.

2. Learn something new

I am not a bird person but was intrigued when a Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker set up home in a tree just outside my window. From snapping a photo of the bird and its nest on my smartphone, I have evolved to dusting my old DSLR camera to capture close-up shots. Plus, I started reading up about this species and other birds in my neighbourhood.

Staying at home has also given me the chance to hone my culinary skills. I tried out a Chinese roast pork (sio bak) recipe and it’s yumz!

So, learn something new. Pick up a hobby. Better yet, earn some bragging rights by signing up for a free course at Harvard.

3. Have fun together

Staying home doesn’t mean that we cannot have fun. As the places around the neighbourhood are filled with people getting some exercise, my family and I decided to do some Zumba indoor using our Nintendo Switch. Zumba is another thing that I’ve never thought of doing. After a little nudging from my girls, my wife and I relented and Zumba has become our after-dinner activity. (Check out the repeat telecast of our Broadcast Life Conference. There are 23 topics, ranging from cooking, to physical and emotional wellness, to baffling Bible questions, all presented LIVE from our pastors' homes. You can even join in on a virtual tour of Israel! Lots of fun to be had together while picking up new skills and knowledge along the way!)

4. Do virtual meals

Videoconferencing is not just for work. We had breakfast with another family via Zoom.

Though our spread was different, we had a great time of catching up and sharing of God’s goodness, plus trading tips on where to order what.

5. More time for God

Save for the odd grocery run, I have redeemed pockets of time that I would have had to travel for work, ministry or social gatherings. Such precious time can be used to dive deeper into God’s Word and worship together as a family – we’ve even started recording songs.

As you can see, there is so much that we can do while working from home. The biggest bonus for my family is that we have family time and meal together every day of the week.

Reflect & Respond

How are you spending your time with God?
What opportunities do you see in the Circuit Breaker or what memories would you like to create out of it?
Is there one meaningful activity your family, friends or housemates can do together this week?