The rain is coming. Despite all the months of planning and my assurances that it wouldn't. Despite the weather forecast the previous week saying it wouldn't. The rain is coming. It was 8 o'clock on Sunday morning and I was sitting in the park with my laptop, projector, phone, HDMI cable, adaptors, and extension cord. It was all hooked up and tested and worked. My colleague and I had planned this day for a while; two communities and four churches would come together in the park and worship together. The kids could run and play, the adults would worship and visit, there would be donuts and coffee for all to enjoy. But the rain came. 

I made a phone call and we moved inside a community building. A few phone calls, a few texts, some help from others, and everyone knew to come to the community building and not sit in the pouring rain. We had a great experience and plan to do it again next summer. 

There are two lessons I'm taking away from the experience:

• Look how far we've come. The sheer amount of knowledge we acquired since march of 2020 is astounding. As my colleague and I planned this experience, we spoke about things that were so commonplace to us now that we didn't have or know how to do prior to March of 2020.
  
  How to get sound is one example. He had access to a portable system. We each had access to microphones and could have set up our system several different ways.
  
  How we would promote it is another. I use a design program and popped in a couple templates, added some video of the two of us and we were set. For the audio recordings, I dropped them into a program that cleans it up and makes it sound like it was recorded in a studio.
  
  For the service, a quick PowerPoint with video and audio embeds and we were good. None of these things required much time or thought. 
  
  The only stress was the night before to make sure I packed all the cords, adapters, and equipment to take with me, and the general stress that tech doesn't always play nice.
  
  We've learned to do SO MANY THINGS. I have people in retirement centers and nursing homes who watch the weekly worship service live. They've learned how to get online and access what they need. They. text. They Zoom. 
  
  And this is just in regards to using technology. Friends - we have learned SO MANY THINGS. It's really a wonder, and worth taking a minute to acknowledge. 
  
  
  
• Adaptability comes from being prepared AND from the muscles built from trying new things.
  
  The old saying, "I have my ducks in a row," is helpful here. It's so much easier to pack up a row of ducks and move them to a different part of the pond, than it is to go about rounding them up and moving them. Sometimes, you can over-plan, to be sure. Sometimes it's enough to know the ducks are in the pond and not carry the extra anxiety of constant surveillance. Other times, it's helpful to have everything planned out and accounted for. In these instances, you can adapt quickly to unforeseen changes or obstacles. Generally, the more prepared you are the more spontaneous you can be.
  
  When you are willing to try new things and push the boundaries of your comfort zone, you develop the skills and the mental muscle to tackle obstacles and adapt quickly. In these instances, your body doesn't go into fight or flight mode and you are able to stay present to what you are doing and think clearly to problem solve. 
  
  You have learned how to take a breath, calm yourself, and stay present. You've learned how to quickly troubleshoot and think creatively about solutions. You've learned how to act decisively. These are learned skills and they are developed when we try new things and step out of our comfort zones. 

It was a great experience with great people. I'm sure there will be more lessons that come after some time to think and reflect. Yes, sometimes the rain comes. But it doesn't stay. Soon, the sun pops back out. Be well, friends. 

If you would like to learn more about managing your anxiety and building resistance, click here to join the Waitlist for the next Manage Your Anxiety and Grow Resilience Workshop. 

Your Partner In Spiritual Health,
Melissa