Overwhelmed by Normal
Written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. ”
Being overwhelmed is the new contemporary issue. I, personally, feel overwhelmed with the idea of getting back to “normal.” How will the church be when we are all together again? Will it be the same, or will the staff work twice as hard, doing Covid tasks and the old, in-person tasks? Will people come back, or has church become no longer a part of many people’s routine? Who will get my chores done when I am traveling to meetings, visits, etc.? The last sixteen months, I would turn off the Zoom meeting, and in the time it took to travel to the meeting and back again, I could get my chores done.
Change is never easy, but one meaningful way to address change is by recognizing its impact when it is happening. Each one of us should name the discomfort that comes with returning to “normalcy.” It is easy to ignore the pain when there are so many positives also taking place. But a bunch of positives does not negate the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Darius Foroux, in his article “What To Do When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed,” encourages people to “Slow down, get a bit of rest, and pay attention.” On Sunday morning, for example, we will have three Sundays to get used to worshiping together before we pass ingestible items with Communion. After worship, we will have fellowship in The Commons. We will have coffee, juice, and water but will hold off on donuts and bagels until we get used to being together. A slow but intentional transition back to pre-Covid life will help keep the uncomfortable feeling of being overwhelmed at bay.
Today, think about the changes taking place in your life. Odds are, there are more changes than usual taking place now. Prayerfully ask God to provide the wisdom to know how to address that feeling of being overwhelmed. Then seek Divine patience to take it slow, feel more comfortable, and prepare for each step of your return to “normal” life again. Then, God can make our lives whole and comfortable again.
