Is it me or does it seem like we are stuck in the movie Groundhog Day? For some reason the past couple of weeks feels oddly like the first weeks of quarantine life back in March (April or May depending where you live). Although we’ve been in this space for MONTHS, the learning curve, just like the COVID curve, doesn’t seem to be flattening.
Just like flattening the COVID curve requires sustained effort, our learning curve is not a “one and done” type of proposition. Change, true change requires stamina and pacing ourselves for the ongoing work of ministry. Change is a marathon but too many of us are in sprint shape.
While I never ran track, I learned some valuable lessons being a track mom. The main lesson was, you can’t outrun your diet or bad sleep habits. In others words, what we consume and the amount of rest we get are equally as important to our training. I believe this moment is revealing this to be true for change as well.
Some of us have been focused on the task of ministry and what we’ve been trained to do but the new ideas, perspectives, and opportunities along with time and space to think, listen, discern and rest are equally important. What we do in this moment matters, but our goal is to move beyond this moment.
I believe this moment will pass. My prayer is that we steward it in a way that makes us fit for the work and the race ahead. Ask yourself, are you in sprint shape or marathon shape?
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