Beloveds,
I hope that if you've thought of me at all, you haven't thought "Gee, I wonder why I haven't gotten a newsletter from our Regional Director?" Chances are, you didn't even notice. But I did! I was sending out a monthly newsletter regularly for months and feeling excited about introducing or reacquainting more people to OSL, and was just starting to get the hang of this Regional Director thing when all of a sudden my life changed.
It wasn't anything life-threatening or tragic. It was simply a change of my circumstances and routines. My husband, who has been on long-term disability for a year or so but was still working 12 hours a week, lost his job in November. This prompted us to put our house on the market and move to a smaller, more affordable home as fast as we could. We had no idea it would take us four months to finally get moved. It seemed never-ending, with one thing after another disrupting our plans. Suddenly there was no more routine, no more outside activities or obligations. My entire focus was on packing, finding a new home, and moving. Unexpectedly, we were living in a hotel for three weeks, along with our two dogs. STRESSFUL!
I don't handle the state of "limbo" very well. I want to know the plan. I want to be able to visualize what's coming. I guess most of us humans are like that, though. A loss of control over any situation puts us in a tailspin. And there's nothing like moving to make one feel out of control! All the things you reach for in your everyday life are packed away ... somewhere... along with your sense of security.
I wasn't able to go to our weekly OSL meetings/trainings. I dropped out of choir and stopped showing up at church. I felt like a boat adrift.
And now, everyone on earth is living in a similar state of limbo due to COVID-19. Our routines are put on hold. We're not quite sure what's coming. Imagine how the Israelites felt wandering in the desert for 40 years!
Oy vey! I don't want to imagine that! It's only been a few weeks. Can you imagine 40 years?!
Small changes in our circumstances tend to make us hobble when we walk, and before we know it, we're off course. But our Anchor is always there, and we are tethered to Him even when we don't realize it. He will always bring us back if we will but listen for His call.
One way to listen for him is to stay in contact with your OSL community. I encourage you to strive for a way to do this when meeting in person isn't possible. We have myriad technological tools to help us reach out to one another and the world. Community is important, and we should never forsake it.
And OSL is on top of this.... Your OSL North American Board is already planning the very first OSL ONLINE Conference in April! So stay connected. You ARE tethered -- to Christ and to OSL! Even—and especially—in the storm, He is with us, and we are secure.
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