I was talking to someone recently about how hard it is to keep track of days. Just yesterday I thought there was a zoom call that is actually today but I got mixed up and said where is everyone and someone got back to me and said, uh, it’s tomorrow. Sigh.
I think this is a symptom of grief. We have experienced wave after wave of grief. Life isn’t the same, fear is constant. Church isn’t the same. We can’t do what we want. People are dying, people we love are dying. Every decision carries with it the weight of unknown dangers.
The way we get through grief is one day at a time. Some griefs never leave us, like the death of a loved one. Some griefs work themselves out, like moving or a new job. Some things we think are a loss are just changes that are inevitable, like aging. But one thing is certain, grief will not be ignored.
And so we have to recognize grief for what it is, a time of adjustment, a time of reordering, a time for asking who we are in this new normal. And do we love those questions, no we do not. Grief is a beginning, and we determine how that goes. We write the next chapter.
First, we have to recognize the grief. We have to be honest about our losses. We have to be open to feeling crummy for a while. The unending grief we are experiencing requires heightened kindness, patience and calm. We are all suffering, we are all afraid, we are all anxious, we are all trying to figure out how to keep ourselves and others safe. Let’s be nice to each other.
Prayer, exercise and reaching out to friends are healthy ways to cope. They take practice. Ask for help when you need it. Know that Jesus loves you, and so does your church.