Wellness Blog “Don’t Look Now… But Here Come’s Lent”
by Rev. Gary R Pomrenke
We truly are living in the calm before the storm right now. Advent and all of its associated activities have been put away for the year. And seemingly, with little time between, we enter the hectic and busy season of Lent this week. I am not sure how other pastors feel, but I think that Lent & VBS are the busiest times in my year. They require the most planning and saturate more energy than in any other part of the church year. So, knowing that, how do I plan to ensure that I pay attention to my personal wellness during this reflective and emotional season of Lent.
Well, being proactive as your own wellness advocate is certainly a place to start. During busy times in the church, we tend to just “gut” through all of the extra demands the season brings, but we certainly could be better planners to accommodate rest. I still say the best and most successful way to achieve this (for me) is to put downtime in your planners and not allow that block of time to be used for anything but unplugging and resting. The other thing that starts to happen as spring arrives (other than allergies) is a sense of renewal. Our lives start to bloom just like the flowers around us. Statistics show that most people have better outlooks during periods of life where we experience the beauty of God’s creation and the blooming beauty that Spring brings. We also “Spring Forward” an hour on March 8th. That extra hour of light is a wonderful thing.
So, Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Be proactive with your rest time. Find an activity that re-charges your batteries. Plan that downtime and don’t lose it to the business of our schedules. Soon we will be celebrating the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ … let’s pace ourselves so that we have the energy to truly enjoy it! Not a sermon, just a loving reminder!
Blessings,
Rev. Gary R Pomrenke