Patience & Hope in a Pandemic

As we leave 2020 in the rearview mirror, we look forward to 2021 with renewed hope, and expectations for all things to be better.

There is much to positively anticipate in the new year – so long as we do so with patience and understanding, as many of the obstacles we faced last year persist.

“I believe the greatest challenge in the coming year will be to overcome the temptation to get back to ‘normal’ as quickly as possible,” says Immanuel Lutheran Church Senior Pastor, Larry Tieman. “We are still defining normal, so we need to take one positive step at a time. We all want things to be as they were before the pandemic, we just need to be patient and recognize the gradual nature of normalcy.”

Part of this is to understand that everyone adapts to new situations at their own pace, and it will be an ongoing process to define the “new normal.” Some parts of life will return to pre-pandemic stages; others are forever changed. Allowing these processes of resuming life to play out and take root will be an ongoing challenge of patience and hope.

“Isolation, helplessness, and containment have challenged positivity, optimism, and hope. Hope has an incredible impact on mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing,” says Tieman. “There are many means to feed a faltering wellbeing – counseling, exercise, connecting with others -- just to name a few. Hope is fed by faith. Establishing a solid foundation of hope that feeds our soul during times of great challenge is based in a relationship of faith in Jesus Christ, who has power and authority to positively impact our lives and our ‘new normal.’”

2021 rings in as a year of great promise and hope that will also require great patience. Allow yourself time and space to adapt to the new, and to grieve what once was. Embrace and believe that better things are indeed yet to come, and have faith and hope in a brighter tomorrow.

The community is invited to join worship virtually or in-person at Immanuel. Visit www.immanuelcl.org for the virtual worship link or to make a reservation for in-person worship. Full Covid protocols are observed, including mask wearing.

Immanuel Lutheran

300 S Pathway Ct

Crystal Lake, IL 60414