Today’s Word from Pastor Jim
“Let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9
If you are getting weary, raise your hand. Come on, be honest. This daily diet of isolation, gloom, and doom takes its toll on all of us. And by almost any measure, we have it better than 95% of the world. We can get out most anytime and breathe fresh air. We can walk the beach. We have a church family who cares for each other. Having said that, if you are getting weary, raise your hand.
For most of us, this battle with the coronavirus is more psychological than it is physical. If we self-isolate and are cautious, we are not likely to be stricken. If we contract this virus, we are not likely to end up in a hospital. We are not wanting for food or shelter. The battle is mostly psychological. That does not make the battle any less real.
Uncertainty adds to our stress. We simply don’t know how long this isolation is going to last. We don’t know how low the stock market can go. We don’t know when we will be able to worship together again. We don’t know when we will be able to see loved ones who live far away. Uncertainty adds to our stress.
I like having dates on the calendar. My family thinks that I am a little crazy. And I say, “Compared to what?” Sure, I circle dates on the calendar and yes, I start countdowns to family vacations months and months before they are to occur. “Eleven months and we will be together in Cabo!” That litany continues for eleven months; for ten months, I annoy my family. Anticipation builds as I look forward to a date on the calendar.
Before the virus changed our world, my son-in-law was on the road a lot for business. Having Daddy gone is not easy for my three-year-old grandson. What helped a three-year-old cope? A circled date on the calendar, marking the return of Daddy. This is how it works with circled dates. No matter what else happens, circled dates get closer with each passing day.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. We need to circle a date on the calendar and begin the countdown. It is a hopeful, forward-looking exercise. The CDC has prohibited all gatherings until the middle of May. So, I am proposing that we circle the date of Sunday, May 17th. Each day we will move together, closer to that date on the calendar.
If you are weary, raise your hand. My hand is up right now. But I will not grow weary of doing good. I will not let the weariness take away my hope. We are not alone and we are not hopeless. We have a date circled on the calendar. We are people of hope, moving one step at a time toward a day in the future when we will worship together again.
Thank you for all of your thoughtful emails and acts of kindness. We will emerge from this crisis. Together and better, we will arrive at a date on the calendar and it will be party time.
Stay home and stay connected.
Until next time,
Pastor Jim
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