We cannot say it enough: these are extraordinary times. Unprecedented and unreal. Our lives have become dominated by quarantine restrictions, masks and hand sanitizer, a daily uptick in the number of new virus cases and deaths, layoffs and unemployment, political posturing, Zoom meetings, grocery store shortages, homeschooling, and anxiety. We didn’t see it coming, and yet here we are. And it is a lot.

So I want us to pause in the midst of this pandemic. I want to offer space and ways to help you manage your stress, find sparks of hope, experience peace (even if only for a moment), share your pain with God, and feel God’s deep love for you. I want to remind you that you are not alone in this time of uncertainty, that God is with you and offering comfort and guidance.

I invite you to pause in a pandemic and . . .

  • BE – for the remainder of this period of quarantine, I will offer a 20-minute prayer and meditation sit every Thursday at 12:30pm EST. I will be holding space for you to pray or meditate using whatever practice you choose. I will open the time with an intention, then hold space for twenty minutes before closing with a poem or blessing. This is free, and you can register here.
  • LISTEN – I am opening up additional spaces for spiritual direction. We will meet online for an hour. Together, we will listen for the ways in which God is present in your life, reflect on the questions you have for God, offer up your feelings, and discern the ways in which God is leading you towards a deeper sense of God’s love for you. I offer a sliding scale and want to make it possible for you to do this. Contact me if you have questions or want to schedule a session at kristen(at)KristenEVincent(dot)com.
  • PRAY – My Etsy shop is still open. I’ve moved all my inventory and supplies from my studio to my house, which is a little discombobulating (we live in 1200 sq ft), but we’ve made it work. Due to the pandemic, it’s taking a little longer to receive shipments from my suppliers, but we are still able to process orders. If you need something by a certain date, just let me know in advance.
  • HEAL – We all have pain and trauma in our lives, with feelings and memories we’ve tried hard to repress. But under quarantine we find ourselves with more space and time than we know what to do with, making it harder to avoid our pain. To help, I’m offering an online study that guides us through the process of sharing our pain and trauma with God and finding peace. Based on my award-winning book, Beads of Healing, the study will include bonus content. It will be seven weeks – meeting Tuesdays at 7:30pm EST, and will include: weekly readings and reflection questions, a weekly Zoom meeting with me, a private Facebook group, and weekly creative and movement prompts. The study begins 4/28. Because of the pandemic, I’m offering it at a reduced rate of $70. If you need financial assistance, please let me know. You can register here.
  • BE DEEPLY LOVED – We are deeply loved by God. Always and everywhere, including during a pandemic. But it might be hard to remember or feel this truth when we’re overwhelmed by fear and anxiety. So I want to remind you of God’s deep love for you as often as I can right now. I’m continuing to send out my weekly Loved Notes – a short email about how deeply loved you are (if you haven’t subscribed, you can do that here). And beginning next week, I’ll be recording new episodes of the Loved Notes podcast. I’ll hope you’ll join me and be part of the conversation. Now, more than ever, we need each other.

This is just the beginning. Throughout this time I’ll offer other ways to pause in a pandemic. We’ll pause to lament, and rest, and create, and celebrate, and worship (and eat chocolate). And I’d love to know how you are pausing in a pandemic. On Instagram, Facebook, or in the comments below, feel free to share your own ways of pausing using the hashtag #pauseinapandemic.

You are deeply loved by God. You just are. Which means that God is holding you in this time of crisis. And God is encouraging you to offer yourself a whole lot of grace, given that we’ve never done this before. And God is inviting you to use this time to pause – to be still and rest and reflect and be renewed. May you find rest, and may you be well.