There's a heavy feeling right now in the world of being in community with others.
This has been a week if there ever was one.
I received messages of folks telling me they were scared, disillusioned or just numb. Friends shared with me that they felt isolated from folks they loved. Others offered they couldn't be online and they were muting most people they knew on Facebook because of the comments.
Any of this sound familiar?
To all our heavy loads I bring a word: persevere.
Persevere: an undertaking despite counter influences, opposition, or discouragement.
I don't often quote scripture in these words of the week, but today I couldn't help it. One of my favorite scriptures comes from 2 Corinthians chapter 4 which speaks to what perseverance looks like when we put it to practice. Paul seeks to encourage others by saying:
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. . .. Therefore, we do not lose heart."
Perseverance reminds us that even in hard seasons there can still be laugher. There can still be joy. There can still be pleasure. Life is so much about both/ and.
But how?
Words I have been known to keep close are: “Life is a marathon, not a sprint.”
In saying them I am reminded that there's always hard things and sometimes impossible things, yes, but there is always more to come.
And so, we preserve because that more leads us on! The more is what led our ancestors on, and it has the same power to lead us on too.
To be practical, I'm wondering what’s one thing you can look forward to today or tomorrow?
Who is one person you can reach out to feel more connected?
What is one activity you can put on your calendar simply because it brings you peace?
In my trying to do these things this week, I surprisingly felt refreshed. Not that the hard goes away, but that the fog isn't as foggy.
So, preserve, my friends! I am doing the same. Together we go on with eyes open for the surprises of life. I believe, I really believe they will come!
XO
Elizabeth
