A Word of Encouragement

I feel like I’ve got whiplash this last couple of weeks. Not literally – my neck is fine! But the impact of the rapid in and out and in and out of lockdowns reminds me of whiplash.  I find I’m bracing myself more than usual, hoping for the best yet preparing myself for the next jolt. And that’s led to times of anxiety. I know I’m not the only one feeling these things. 

Many of you have probably read the poem called Footprints.  It’s about a person reflecting on their life using the image of walking side by side with God on a sandy beach, tracking their time together by their footprints in the sand. Reflecting on the different seasons of life, the writer realizes that in the hardest times there were only ever one set of footprints and wonders (quite naturally!) why?!  “Why would God abandon me during the most difficult times?” is the honest question that the writer asks. And God responds – “The one set of footprints are mine! During your hardest times, I carried you.”

I shared my recent anxieties last week at the senior school religious assembly. My point was simply that those feeling anxious would know you’re not alone. And to model that it’s OK to not be OK. Because that’s the opposite of what anxiety tells us. It says, “push harder, go it alone, keep your head down, peddle faster, don’t look weak.” But to lean instead into the truth that it’s OK to not be OK frees us to reach out for support and companionship and help in our heavy seasons. 

These times of uncertainty and anxiety are not easy for any of us. They come with fatigue and frustration, and the temptation to withdraw and go it alone. But I want to invite you to join me on another pathway, the one that admits to yourself “It’s OK to not be OK” and then seeks the support that is available as God carries us through. 

Rev Karen Reid

School Chaplain