The Season of Our Soul - LPNI
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The Season of Our Soul
LPNI Health Topic – March 2023
Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy…
And You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; You have made summer and winter.
(Psalm 130:1-2 and Psalm 74:16-17 NIV)
In years past, I have written a health note at the change of fall (autumn) to winter to alert folks to ways they can deal with changes they might be experiencing. These are labeled medically as SAD and can include less energy, mood changes, and depression to varying degrees. It is a good way to call attention to the safety issues such as darkness and driving, freezing weather and icy steps and sidewalks among others.
In thinking about this, I was also dealing with beginning to come out of the crippling isolation created by COVID:
- home schooling instead of in-person,
- seniors in care facilities not able to see family and friends,
- troubles surfacing in marriages due to both parties having to work from home and home school their children at the same time,
- increase in alcohol related problems,
- weddings postponed because of gathering restrictions,
- and even having to wait to gather for grief support and closure when my own mother died at age 102 as did many other families in my faith family.
We are all still experiencing the four seasons of our soul through lingering issues from the pandemic, and be it winter or summer where you are, God is giving us an opportunity to find ways to strengthen our faith and call on him in any season, anywhere, with the knowledge that he has “fixed the boundaries of the whole earth”. He has the power and deep love to hold us and guide us no matter our location or season!
Whole health is body-, mind-, and spirit-focused, and I have been very strengthened spiritually as we have walked with God through the many obstacles and opportunities of the past three years. I am so grateful for the sisters and brothers in parish health ministry throughout the world who have been part of my faith network in every season of my soul! We are one in the Spirit knowing that whatever the season, our soul is fed with his power and love, enabling us to do his work to nourish souls and promote whole health.
Cynthia Rutan, RN, Parish Nurse Representative Northwest District LCMS, USA
Parish Nurse at Peace Lutheran Church and School
Bremerton, WA 98310 USA
peacearishnurse@comcast.net