Who is tired of COVID? I can almost see all your hands raised in unison and hear your collective sighs of complete exhaustion. We are tired of masks. We are tired of people fighting over masks. We are tired of inconveniences, and we are tired of people being sick. We are tired of friends and neighbors dying when it feels like some people might not be doing everything possible, to make things better. We just want life to be normal again, right?
Maybe God is trying to teach us that our prior normal wasn’t what he had in mind for us. Can you remember right after the first lockdown? So many of us were talking about how nice in many ways it had been to have a forced slow down. Families were eating together again, more people were spending time outside, and we were on fire finding new ways to share Christ with the world. Dig deep…try to remember.
The truth is, we all forgot our lessons learned before the calendar page could turn. We felt free to go back to normal. Maybe we are still struggling because we are slow learners. That kind of hurts. Maybe God wants more than normal for us.
One day last week my day began at 5:30am. I switched hats (titles) three times and clothes twice. I answered 103 emails with about 50% of them being pretty mean and nasty. I prayed before I responded to each one so that they read nothing but my Christian love for them with every stroke of the keyboard. I fail sometimes I am sure because I am tired too.
By 7:00pm when I was logging onto zoom for the final meeting of the day, I could feel my blood pressure was up and I rarely feel that way. I could feel the tension in every fiber of my being. I paused to pray and then did my best to contribute. It’s hard to fall asleep after a day like that one. But I did. I dreamt I was running across a collapsing bridge, and I could see the end… it was so close I could reach out and touch it, but everything was falling out from beneath my steady and sure step. A dream analyst might say life was feeling a bit out of control.
The next morning, I really took my time with my morning devotions. I pulled out my trusty Calm app and clicked on the stress section while I listened to ocean waves and prayed.
When I walked to the backroom of the house to let the dog out, I stopped and just paused. Everywhere I looked the morning light was dancing off of things in the room. Even the darkened TV hanging on the wall reflected the morning sunrise. I felt the presence of God wrapping me in light and warmth.
There on my table were potted bulbs with three brand new blooms on what was a freezing wintry morning. A dark and dreary day had been followed by a freezing cold but gorgeous sunrise. God is so wonderful in the way he loves us and gives us what we need isn’t he?
This week, I challenge everyone to look for God and the way he continues to show up in our lives, even during this… what feels like a never-ending pandemic. Practice the pause with each other, we are all tired. Encourage your Pastor because they are feeling all the same frustrations.
Since that morning, I have looked for God with intention each and every day. By seeking him and finding his presence in my life, it helps to remind me that this will end. It also encourages me to be open to the lessons he is still trying to teach me throughout this lifechanging experience we are all walking through together. Just remember as Jon the Methodist said at the at the end of every Charge Conference this year, “Just remember we are not roaming alone.” Praying you all get meaningful rest and quiet time with God in the coming weeks.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 MSG
If you would like to view past editions of A Message from Kim, follow this link: https://sounddistrictnc.org/category/from-district-lay-leader/
If you would like to connect with Kim please do so through her email, k.smith@nccumc.org