I don’t know about the rest of you out there, but as an introvert, I am having a challenging time with re-entry into the “COVID-under-control” world. To have the energy to continue reaching out can be exhausting, challenging and downright disappointing. My extravert friends have returned to “normal.” And I’m not sure, at this point, what “normal” is. I long to have deep, meaningful conversations with people, but the world is very quickly returning to a fast-paced, “I don’t have enough time,” kind of place. Do you notice the traffic? The congestion on the freeway? The crowded stores that do not allow for social distancing anymore?
Ministry is what is saving me right now. I am back at the hospital serving patients and their families--walking with them through illness and death, encouraging their healing of mind, body and spirit. The other spaces I used to occupy before COVID don’t always seem to fit properly. Has the world changed or have I changed?
Do you find yourself having some of the same thoughts, especially those of you who naturally keep to yourselves? Perhaps it is time to ask God, "Should my life be different now? What would you like me to change? How can I better serve you?"
When my husband recovered from by-pass surgery this past winter, his whole outlook on life changed. He said to me, “I don’t know how many years I have left. I want to be sure I am spending my time doing what I have been called to do and shedding some of the things that really brought no joy or positive consequences. (Sometimes we do what God asks us to do, however, even though it is not fulfilling, and we don’t see results!)
If you are the kind of person who hardly ever engages in self-care, perhaps it is time to allow God to nourish you through meaningful relationships. Do you choose to be with friends who feed your spirit?
Setting time apart and making the decision to slow down a bit so that you can actually hear what God is saying to you might bring about those changes you swore you’d make when this virus was under control.
Please don’t go back to business (busyness) as usual. Let this time apart bring positive changes to your life. What had meaning for you when you couldn’t be out and about? What did you miss? What did you decide you could do without? Think about these things...
One last thing: Please visit my new and improved website at www.listening4life.org. And if you have already purchased my book Listening for Life through Amazon, please be sure to leave a review. It really helps me know what you liked and didn't like!
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