I chat every night with one of the dearest people in my life. Sue always has a supportive word, a kind thought, a golden nugget of wisdom to share with me. I didn’t grow up with a sister. One of my lifelong friends is my baby sister. Sue is the older sister I didn’t get to have and I love her dearly. I’ve been sharing with her of late….a bone weariness of the things that have been thrown at us for far too long.
I’ve gone through the grief of losing a spouse. I’ve gone through severe clinical depression and near death. I’ve gone through huge life changes that were cringeworthy in their own right. Now, I’m in a boat with a whole bunch of people…and we’re kinda hanging by a thread. Oh, we’re ok. We’re gonna make it through. We’re old enough and experienced enough to know…this too shall pass. But, man…..that constant surge of adrenalin and cortisol is getting pretty old.
Everyone handles stress in their own way. We all have different coping mechanisms. Some of us have more tools in our toolbox, simply because we’ve been through therapy to get us through crises. And, some of us have been blessed to have had a relatively easy life without huge upheaval. Getting out for a drive in the sunshine the other day was wonderful. Connecting with supportive friends is helpful. Having someone with me to share the day to day is a true blessing and it’s not lost on me how different things could have been if this would have happened say…six or seven years ago.
I have dear friends who are actively grieving tragic losses. To have to do that and cope with pandemic burnout seems unusually cruel and inhumane. One thing that has been giving me rays of hope is watching the “Christmas Covid Crush” begin to subside and the number of vaccinations going up. Slowly…ever so slowly. Nothing ever happens as fast as we would like it to, does it?
I find when I am at the end of my rope, there is decidedly less of the “ME” I need to get me through whatever I am facing. And I’ve faced enough crises to know…when there’s less “ME”, there’d better be more GOD because the alternative is a big black hole of despair. Oh, wouldn’t it be nice if God plucked us off the end there and set us down gently into a field of clover…by a nice stream, perhaps? But….noooooo…God ties a knot in that rope and helps me to hang on. He has the power to “fix things” for me. But, if He did that…what would I need HIM for? What would I learn from the experience?
Sue sends me articles from time to time. I found this one about “Hitting the Pandemic Wall” to be helpful so I thought I would share it with you today. There are some good ideas and links that you may use. But, I also thought I would ask you some questions.
What are you doing in your daily life to keep from feeling overwhelmed? Have any past experiences helped give you skills you can use during this crisis? I know it can’t just be me that’s feeling a little…strained.
In other words….really…
How are YOU doing?
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““You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.”
Matthew 5:3 MSG
I count my blessings, out loud if necessary! I remind myself that there are others in lots worse conditions than I am! I could be living in another country, at war, or lying in a hospital bed til I die. Be grateful! Fake it til I feel it. Pray, pray, pray.
Wonderful answers! ?
I count my blessings also. I take long walks early in the morning, when there is still dew on the grass. I’m fortunate to live out in the country. A cow pasture is directly across from our house and 3 cows have new calves, also horses are in the pasture next door to me. I greet the animals and feed the cows apples and the horses carrots. They wait for me to come out my front door. We have deer and a new fawn that come out of the woods frequently. The birds are always singing in the morning and my neighbor has ducks in her pond. I love the stillness too. It refreshes my soul every morning. We live in Florida so I also walk the beach 2-3 days per week and I stop & talk to people along the way. My husband volunteers at Missionary Flights International loading planes for missions to Haiti & the Dominican Republic three days per week. He usually fishes the other two days and sometimes I go with him. We are not back to church yet, but we watch online. We had our 2nd Covid shot yesterday.
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