Go Forth People of God
I came across an article written by Aisha Ahmad, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, where she addresses being at the 6-month mark of the pandemic shutdown and how to survive through it. She refers to this 6 month mark as hitting the 6-month wall. She says, “…any sustained crisis is always difficult” and there comes a time when you may feel like you aren’t making progress or that the end will never be in sight. She encourages us to look at all the ways we have responded and relearned things during this time. Things like more family table dinners, new ways to have fun and connect with people, grocery shopping, and hosting meetings, enlarging our virtual world even more than it was. She says, “But the 6-month wall is real and normal….It will break naturally in about 4-6 weeks if you ride it out…just don’t expect to be sparklingly happy or wildly creative in the middle of your wall. Right now, if you can meet your obligations and be kind to your loved ones, you get an A+.” Be gentle with yourself and take care of yourself. She says in her experience “this 6-month wall both arrives and dissipates like clockwork. So I don’t fight it anymore. I don’t beat myself up over it. I just know that it will happen & trust that the dip will pass. In the meantime, I try to support my mental & emotional health.” She finishes by saying, “So, dear friends, do not despair of the 6-month wall. It’s not permanent, nor will it define you in this period of adversity. Trust that the magic that helped you through the first phase is still there. Take a breath & a pause. You’ll be on the other side in no time.”
As I read this article I was so thankful for those reassuring words and wanted to share them with you as well. I also couldn’t help thinking about the sermon I preached a couple of weeks ago about the children of Israel entering the wilderness after being freed from their bondage in Egypt. I had 3 points in that sermon:
- God was with the Israelites in the wilderness and God is with us in the wildernesses of our lives.
- God provided for the Israelites and God provides for us.
- To help us get through the wilderness times of life focus on praising God who is our creator, sustainer and promoter of life and a very present help in the time of trouble.
Go forth faith filled people of God. As you hit your 6-month or anytime wall, be kind to yourself and one another. Do good. Do no harm. Stay in love with God. And know that this too shall pass.
loving God heart, mind, soul, and strength
pastor latonya