​HOW ARE WE ALL DOING?

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HOW ARE WE ALL DOING?
 
“How have you being doing during COVID-19?”  That is the question I have asked over a hundred Bethel families and individuals that I have checked in on over the last months.  This is what I have found.
 
People’s experience of the pandemic falls all along a continuum.  On the happiest end of the spectrum are several people who described themselves as thriving.  For example, two families, say that their life has been more paced, and that they have made deeper connections among themselves than ever before. In both cases they credit this, in part, to having chosen to homeschool their children.
 
In general, introverts are faring much better than extroverts.  I heard from a few extreme introverts that they prefer the pandemic lifestyle to what life was like before!
 
A bit further along the continuum are those people who says that life has continued on pretty much as it had been before the pandemic.  Their work has remained unchanged.  Their family life is much the same as it had been.  They are doing quite well.
 
Most of us find ourselves somewhere in the middle.  We are doing fine, but deeply miss our activities and prior connections.  More than a few find their emotions swinging more quickly than they did before the pandemic. They feel strong some days, and a bit stressed or depressed on others. Their emotions can change even within the course of a single day (or hour!).
 
On the other side of the continuum are those who are struggling with mental health. COVID has not been kind to them.  I hear occasional stories of people feeling that everyone in the church has forgotten them.  Their sense of disconnection from church has translated into feelings of rejection. 
 
Even though many singles assure me they are doing just fine, I do find myself concerned for them.  Isolation is not good for most people, and singles are more likely than others to experience that during the pandemic.
 
Where do you fall on this spectrum?  I’d love to hear about your experience.  In the meantime, let’s stay connected to God and to one another.  If you haven’t reached out to someone in your circle of relationships in a while, or if someone you know of is isolated, why don’t you call, send a card, or drop off a gift of encouragement? 
​ –Pastor Tom   

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