Ways to Seek Renewal

During the early months of COVID, it was hard to be able to tell days apart. There weren’t any typical social markers that helped us differentiate time – like weddings, family vacations, or big sporting events. We found ourselves always in a bit of a calendar fog and really had to be present in each day because there wasn’t much to signify one day from another. 

Part of me hated the foggy ambiguity of the days. I couldn’t figure out what made one day different from the next and was always lost in my calendar. At the same time, I found myself more present than ever before – really soaking up each day for what it was. I didn’t worry too much about the future (well, yes, the large existential future I worried about…) when I knew I could only control a small fraction of time in the current day and the subsequent few days. There was something both odd about this ambiguity and freeing.

I realized the last couple of weeks that I have once again found myself a bit lost in the calendar. But this time feels different. It’s no longer because there aren’t any markers to differentiate time. It’s because the markers are flying by so fast it feels like I’m in warp speed. I returned to – and maybe even sped up – from the pace I was maintaining pre-pandemic. It’s as though I’m trying to make up for lost time. I’ve found myself feeling like I’m trying to make out details while it seems like I’m driving 150 mph down the road.

I don’t know why I’m acting as though I need to make up for lost time or even go faster than before. One of the biggest things we learned during the early pandemic is that most of us had been maintaining a pace that was not sustainable or healthy. The early pandemic caused us to pause some (and yes – also pivot and take on a few new things). But we were truly cut off from some of the outside personal demands we previously had like extracurriculars and spending time in traffic to get across town for any sort of meeting. 

Have you found yourself feeling lost in the blur of the calendar recently and running on fumes again? 

Summer is well underway, and we are quickly careening towards kicking off the school year and “welcome back” events all over again. The calendar is already a blur. 

So how are you finding ways to care for yourself and build in margin for rest? There are a few ways to seek renewal. 

1. Connect with a therapist and/or spiritual director. This is a safe space for you to focus on you – not worry or care for anyone else. You can explore together your symptoms of anxiety or depression, the feelings of overwhelm or attempting to balance everything, or where and how God is engaging you in this season of life.

2. Attend a pre-planned retreat. We always are in charge and leading things – simply ATTEND something! Check out retreats offered by the Hinton Rural Life Center or Chrysalis Consulting Center, based in New Mexico, that focus on clergy rest and renewal. 

3. Build your own retreat. Explore somewhere new while you rest and renew your soul. Check out this link for recommended retreat centers.

4. Take Sabbath regularly. Do not work 7 days a week. Model healthy boundaries and make sure you are taking minimum 1 day off a week off – preferably two days off a week (only working 5 days!)

5. Use your vacation.

Also, there is an important new resource for everyone to know about. There is a new direct number to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – dial 9-8-8. It goes live on July 16th! 

9-8-8 is a direct line to trained National Suicide Prevention Lifeline counselors. It will open the door for millions of Americans to seek the help they need while sending the message to the country that healing, hope, and help are happening every day. Some of 9-8-8’s key features include: Connecting a person in a mental health crisis to a trained counselor, who can address their immediate needs and help connect them to ongoing care; Reducing healthcare spending with more cost-effective early intervention; Reducing the use of law enforcement, public health, and other safety resources; Meeting the growing need for crisis intervention; Helping end stigma toward those seeking mental healthcare. If you have questions, contact questions@988ga.org 

I hope you can think through ways to make sure you are caring for yourself, honoring your capacity, and resting during the fast speed we find ourselves in once again.

Grateful for you,
Lindsay

Meaningful Moment

A blessing by Dr. Kate Bowler // @katecbowler

Sometimes I am paper
thinning at every touch.

Responsibilities and duties and errands
are wearing me down.
There is not enough time or energy
or finances or imagination.

I hardly recognize myself.

I can’t keep going, but I can’t rest.
God, can You help me slow down?

I just need a little shelter and a long breath.

Give me space to curl up for a while.
Hold me until I can feel my shoulders drop,
and I am freed from what can’t happen right now.

Let me think only about what is gentle and lovely,
what is bountiful and unencumbered on this too-heavy day.

God, scoop me up into life as it is.
Stop me from running ahead,
so I can be here,
in this space,
for the moment.
And breathe.

Amen.