Focus on Blessings
Posted on Mar 18, 2020 by
As some of you may have heard, this week will be my last one as office administrator at Salem Lutheran Church. I have accepted a full-time opportunity with Crossroads Hospice. This is a blessing for both me and my family, and I am excited to share the work and importance of hospice when it comes to end-of-life care. I will miss all of the wonderful people of Salem and look forward to seeing and hearing about all of the exciting things to come.
Change can be scary, and uncertainty can be very scary.
I think we can all agree that the uncertainty going on with COVID-19 is beyond anything anyone was expecting when we rang in 2020. Unfortunately, it is the reality we are dealing with right now and have to decide how to approach it.
It occurred to me last night that how we approach this as individuals means everything. Over the next few weeks and months, you are going to be inundated with scary facts and figures. Please do what you can as an individual and family to keep those most at risk safe. Taking every precaution to keep a safe distance from others and following the rules of good hygiene are so important if we want to stop this from spreading. If this is the closest thing we have in the U.S. to understanding what war and famine are like, there are still many blessings to count.
You are going to see these blessings come out in various ways over the next weeks and months — blessings like families having dinner together on a weeknight once again or having more game and movie nights. You will hear more stories about healthcare workers and public servants making sacrifices for the greater good. You will see teachers doing online classes to stay connected or musicians doing online concerts to stay connected.
Pay attention to the facts; act with caution, but focus on the blessings.
I’ve seen these blessings already happening at Salem with Pastor Cynthia reaching out to older members to make sure they are okay. Gathering Table is doing a brown bag meal this month, and Pantry Pack has no thought of closing down unless absolutely necessary. There will be more things rolling out soon that will show you how individuals — whether here at Salem or in the community — will find a way to come together and serve.
That’s the thing about life. There will always be times of change and uncertainty. Psalm 23:4 states, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff — they comfort me.” With Jesus by our side and our “family” surrounding us, we can always find calm in the chaos.
Blessings to all of you at Salem!
Mikki Lawrence
Office Administrator