A Reflection One Year Later

Published March 12, 2021 by SMBC

They closed the Rodeo. It's Wednesday night, the Fellowship Hall is full of people and the room is filled with the smell of Ms. Sherrie's cooking. All the kids line up because they?re heading to handbells and choir. As they leave the room, the Fellowship Hall is noticeably quieter and Greg starts trivia and prayer time. Oh how I wish we could have known what would come next. Thursday, March 12, 2020, we called a staff huddle in the conference room, heard expert advice, and made the decision to close the campus for 2 weeks. A time of swirling chaos was followed by a period of eerie calm. Assignments were given. We crafted and proofed the communication to the congregation. It's important to get the message out quickly but consistently across all channels. Once the word was out to all groups, we left campus that Thursday having no clue what was in front of us. Today is March 12, 2021. We have experienced every emotion ever named and walked together as a church family through the unknown and the grief, all the while fighting to stay connected and to be the family of God for each other and our neighbors. We have taken baby steps to make our world look like the Kingdom of Heaven but so much more listening and finding common ground is needed. Today, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I had no way to know that my daughters in healthcare professions would become frontline warriors fighting a battle against a virus or that scientists, grocery store workers, truck drivers, teachers, and so many more would pivot overnight to a new way of doing their jobs. I had no way to know how resilient we would need to be in a city which survived Harvey and now needed different skills for an unprecedented crisis. I had no way to know that some days I would need to be strong for my family, friends, and coworkers and some days I was ?carried in their arms? as they helped me navigate the roller coaster of life with no routine. It is Lent. It is a time of healing. The journey to the cross with Jesus this year is enmeshed with my journey through the pandemic. I will never be called to make the sacrifice He did, but I can try to stay by His side and be faithful to His calling. Susan Moore