Three Things to Do When the Virus is a Marathon
All you need is enough to start.
I started out at the beginning of the virus checking the news daily, anticipating what could change in the next 24 hours. Then I began to count the pandemic in weeks, and like all of you, now am measuring the length of its’ continued presence in months. Are you, like me, counting the days until it’s a new year? Are you thinking the unthinkable that this ‘thing’ could still be hanging on at this time next year?
In an article recent published in the online “Medium” magazine, Tara Haelle shares a bit of her experience: “In those early months, I, along with most of the rest of the country, was using “surge capacity” to operate, as Ann Masten, PhD, calls it. Surge capacity is a collection of adaptive systems — mental and physical — that humans draw on for short-term survival in acutely stressful situations, such as natural disasters. But natural disasters occur over a short period, even if recovery is long. Pandemics are different — the disaster itself stretches out indefinitely.‘The pandemic has demonstrated both what we can do with surge capacity and the limits of surge capacity,” says Masten. When it’s depleted, it has to be renewed.’”
Here are 3 big questions arising from your lips and mine as the virus shows no signs of crossing a finish line any time soon:
What happens when you struggle to renew capacity in a crisis that has now become chronic?
How long will your reserves last?
How do you adjust to an ever-changing reality where the ‘new normal’ is indefinite uncertainty?
“This is an unprecedented disaster for most of us that is profound in its impact on our daily lives,” says Masten. But it’s different from a hurricane or tornado where you can look outside and see the damage. The destruction is, for most people, invisible and ongoing.”
The virus is invisible and ongoing. But remember you also have options and access to a renewable source of daily strength to build resilience to outlast them.
Here are 3 ways to set yourself up to outlast the virus marathon:
Lighten your load.
Hebrews 12:1 (The Voice) says it this way: “Let us drop every extra weight, every sin that clings to us and slackens our pace, and let us run with endurance the long race set before us.”
Do a thorough inventory of what you carry and what you possess in your everyday life. Is there dead weight? Too many possessions? Too many financial obligations? Unhealthy friendships? Too much time spent online? Anything that drags you down or takes up space in your head that it is not paying rent for, should be cleared out of your life. You have enough to manage without negative drains on your emotional, physical and spiritual bank accounts.
Limit your focus of what you worrying about.
Matthew 6:34 reminds us: “Do not worry about tomorrow. Let tomorrow worry about itself. Living faithfully is a large enough task for today.”
Do you trust that God will give you your daily bread? Enough for each day so that you are satisfied but may not have enough to carry over into the next day? The economy of God keeps you running back to the One who is The Bread of Life daily. For some of us it is hour by hour, and minute by minute. Keep running back to the source. You may not have what you need for tomorrow now but you will receive what you need when tomorrow arrives.
Learn the joy of deep peace.
In John 16:33, Jesus says: “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
You have access to deep peace even in the middle of a virus. Take heart. He has overcome the world. Your Shepherd sets daily bread before you at His table, enough for one day. And the next day the table will be set with new nourishment, new possibilities, new strength. You can’t compete with the virus marathon if you are worrying you won’t have enough to finish. All you need is enough to start. Enough for today. And each day after that. Just look up to the One who finished His race and is running alongside you on yours.
I believe in you!
Cathie