Written by Rachel Starks
YAMC member West TN Presbytery
Well…who among us ISN’T bombarded by life?
Who among us does not feel the days blur together? Who among us is not overloaded by information?
Who among us is not missing that event we have looked forward to all year? Who among us has not shamefully downloaded TikTok?
Who among us is not tired? scared? lonely? angry?
When I was first asked to write a spring blog with the theme “Bombarded by Life,” I never imagined that “bombarded” would carry the weight that it does now. We all experience some degree of being bombarded by life without throwing a global pandemic into the mix—especially in the uncertainty that accompanies being young adults. We are learning and unlearning so much about life, ourselves, and our faith. Considering such unprecedented changes, and in reflecting on our March young adult “virtual retreat” theme around mental health, I have spent some time considering what impact this time has had on all of us. As many of us continue to be in isolation and experience the ups and downs of this quarantined life, we all find ourselves bombarded like never before. And the truth is, that’s okay.
It is okay to feel bombarded by life. It is okay to go through emotional limbo. It is okay to feel tired, or scared, or lonely, or angry.
While we all wish to rush back into the normalcy of our lives, we are faced with the frustration of this situation being out of our control. But in such difficult times, it is crucial that we seek our loved ones and God for comfort, accepting that it is okay to admit you are not okay. Early into self-distancing, I tried to ignore my own sense of feeling overwhelmed, bombarded. With both my parents working in healthcare fields, and a 91-year-old grandmother who lives next door to them, I made sure to practice social distancing from my family and from many friends who are also at essential jobs. Instead of acknowledging my sense of being overwhelmed or lonely, I tried to focus my energy into staying busy, working from home, going outside, or reading.
But then, on April fool’s day (no joke), my mom called to let me know she had tested positive for Covid-19. I’m beyond thankful that she was asymptomatic the entire 14-day period. During those days after she tested positive, I was certainly bombarded. I was bombarded with guilt, as if it were selfish of me to stay at my apartment and not be secluded to separate rooms of my parents’ house like my sister had to do. Or guilt around my own self-pity, as if I did not deserve to be emotional or impacted by this. I was bombarded by fear, for my mom potentially waking up one morning with symptoms or fear of my dad and sister testing positive as well. Mostly, I was bombarded with this situation being out of my control and feeling helpless.
But why should we be guilty or ashamed to admit that life overwhelms us? Especially now…in the middle of a freaking pandemic! We do not owe it to anyone to hide our worry or our pain. We should not be ashamed that we are bombarded, and we should not feel that we need to shut out these emotions from others or from ourselves or from God. First Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” Social distancing is an opportune time to cast our anxieties on God. It is a time to share our worries and burdens. It is a time to grow more aware of our own inner dialogue and of how we cope with being bombarded.
Though many things are out of our control, we owe it to ourselves to explore and accept what we can and cannot control. We can control our own routines and patterns. We can control how we respond to others. We can practice listening to our own inner narratives. We can seek God. And we can accept that it is okay to feel bombarded by life.
It is okay to be bombarded by life.
It is okay not to be okay.
This blog is part of the year long focus on Young Adult Ministry & the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Make sure to follow this blog, social media accounts, and subscribe to Cumberland Presbyterian Magazine for more. Blogs in this series are below:
The Future of Young Adult Ministry & the CPC
Image by bhollins used under CC 2.0 Licence
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