Hoping You Are Well by Jason Edwards
A NOTE FROM PASTOR JASON
I hope these words find you well.
I've written things like this many times: I hope this letter finds you well. I hope this email finds you well. I hope you are…well.
Those words have never had more meaning.
In the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, we're all working for wellness, wellness in our household, and every household. That's why we're diligently holding distance. That's why we're wearing masks. That's why we're constantly sanitizing our digits and palms. We're working as we can for wellness. I want these words to find you well in all the ways you can be well.
We're all striving to keep physically well. This virus impacts some mildly and others tragically, which is an emotionally tenderizing reality. What I mean is: I love you, and I miss you. I miss our time together, but even more, I want you all to be safe. So please, be safe and love others by acting in the interest of their safety, too, so that eventually, we can all find each other physically well.
In the meantime, I hope you're finding ways to support other kinds of wellness too. Most of us are struggling. Our struggles are not all the same. Some shelter at home while others have no home. Some are losing their margin money. Others had no financial margin to begin with. Some are struggling to manage the balance of work at home, school at home, and all the people, with all the needs, all over the home, all the time. Others are struggling in isolation. This common situation is affecting us all in different ways, but it is, nonetheless, affecting us all. As Rachel Hutton of the Star Tribune writes, "the little losses of COVID-19 add up." Hutton references things like the loss of a job, control, security, routine, health, certainty…there are so many losses. "The arrival of COVID-19 has brought with it layers of losses." Through these losses, little bits of grief and anxiety begin to mount up. As they do, how do we stay well? Hutton offers a few suggestions:
Don't minimize your losses, recognize them. Psychologists say this can ease your pain and protect your emotional health.
Allow yourself to grieve. Take a moment to feel the pain. Write about it, sing about it, paint it, pay attention to it. This will help you process it.
Notice the positive. Gratitude can unlock joy and contribute to transformation and emotional health. I would add that as you continue to adapt in this season, try to adapt in ways that nurture both needed productivity AND necessary play. Whether it's a family game night, a long, leisurely walk, or a phone call with a friend, find some regular practices that nurture relief and happiness.
Reach out. In the midst of social distancing, our emotional needs remain. Connect with your support system. Love and be loved.
Be flexible, in your doing, and your thinking. Life isn't all or nothing. Name the negatives AND the positives in your life.
Control what you can. "We can't control how long this is going to last or predict what's going to happen, but we can control our actions and attitude."
Seek help. Feeling sad, stressed, or anxious is normal. If you don't know who to talk to, please reach out to us. Let us connect you with a pastor, counselor, spiritual director, Stephen Minister, or someone else who can support you during this time. We want you to be well, and even at a distance, our wellness and the wellness of our world are something we must work at together.
Friends, we will be physically together again. We'll have an Easter reunion service in worship on the second Sunday we're back in the church building. People will meet in the physical proximity of Community Groups and shared meals again. We will serve together in the same space and go on mission trips together again. Our children will be able to learn and play in the same spaces again. We will do all the things together again. It will happen.
In the meantime, I miss you, I love you, and I do hope these words find you well.
In Easter Hope,
Jason Edwards, Senior Pastor