LOCKDOWN IS LIFTING
How does that sentence make you feel?
Maybe you are so happy you want to dance and cheer with joy!
Maybe it fills you with fear and dread.
Maybe you’ve loved the extra time and space at home… maybe you’ve hated it.
Maybe you feel loads of different emotions, and maybe you feel nothing at all.
But the fact is that for everybody it will mean something.
And the truth is that that is OK. There is no ‘one size fits all’ response to a global pandemic or to lockdown. Some people have found it easy to follow the rules, some people have found it impossible, some people have chosen to follow them and some people have chosen not to. Wherever you fit onto the scale of emotions right now I want you to stop for a minute, close your eyes and tell yourself – it’s OK to feel this way.
Did you know that God created our emotions? He thinks they are a good thing, he gave us them to help us live our best lives. Emotions are there to guide us and keep us safe. But sometimes our emotions are so strong we don’t know how to handle them, or we try and dull or supress them by self-medicating through certain behaviours, substances, and activities. Having an outlet for our emotions is a great thing, for example crying is an excellent outlet; it produces the hormones we need to self-sooth and reduces negative emotions. So if you are feeling sad, genuinely the best thing to do is to cry- our bodies are literally designed to process sadness in this way. Crying is healthy, normal and natural. On top of that in Psalm 56 the bible teaches us God catches our every tear and keeps track of our every sorrow, and that one day he will wipe all of them away for ever. We don’t just cry tears of sadness, tears are a useful tool to help us deal with anger, frustration, heartbreak, fear, anxiety and many more difficult emotions, also joy happiness and excitement sometimes come out as tears too!
But sometimes tears just refuse to flow, or somehow don’t manage to sooth our pain away completely, what do we do then? Fear, anxiety and dread can lead us to isolate and retreat from the world. To hide our true selves away. Now, some people are naturally introverts- that means they get their inner energy from solitude and stillness, as opposed to extroverts to get their inner energy from being around noise and other people. During lockdown we have all been forced to adopt something of an introverted lifestyle, and while some of us may have thrived in that- some of us have found it extremely hard. Your mental health may not be doing so well right now, that’s nothing to be ashamed of- it’s been tough for most people. The important thing is to recognise it and tell someone- share how you are feeling with someone you trust, and if you think you are in danger of hurting yourself then it’s even more important to speak out. You are loved, and you are valuable, no one will think any less of you and asking for help is one of the most bravest and courageous things a person can do.
If you are more introverted and prefer to read a book or spend time alone then it could be so easy to continue living in an isolated state, but God created us to be in relationships and in communities. So I encourage you to meet up with a friend or two, get yourself back out there- you don’t have to rush into crowded places but parks and woods and coffee shops provide safe spaces for human connections.
And to the more extroverted people who have been longing to be in a crowded bustley place- go gently too, remember not everyone is as eager for a bear hug as you are. But do make the most of open spaces, fill your diary and see as many people as you can because you have a lot of time to make up for!
Whether you identify as an introvert, an extrovert, neither- or both, I want you to know one thing as we head out of lockdown, and that is that you are not doing this alone. We at Diamonds are standing alongside praying for you and cheering you on, but more importantly- God is with you as you go. In every moment- the good ones and the bad ones. Jesus himself said:
“I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20 taken from the amplified bible)
He has promised to never leave us, in fact one of the names we give Jesus – Emmanuel literally means GOD IS WITH US.
We are heading out of lockdown, and whether you are the first one pushing out of the gates, or the last one cautiously inching over the threshold, God is with you.
Go gently, be kind to yourself, and keep talking about how you feel.
written by Karen Tullett - Diamonds Core Team