Holy Uncertainty

It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a year since I’ve sent out a newsletter update. A lot has happened in this year. For each and every one of us. A year of learning every nook and cranny of our houses. A year without hugs or travel. A year of trying to figure out healthy work/home boundaries. A year of increased anxiety and depression. A year of sometimes questioning our faith and other times feeling God’s presence so closely. A year of increased racism, hate, and political divide throughout this country. A year of driveway distanced gatherings with neighbors and new holiday traditions without family. A year of firsts and a year of once agains. But above all, this has been a season of survival mode for us all. Learning and re-learning how to navigate life and finding the best ways to care for ourselves through it all.

For me it has been no different trying to figure out and try new things this season. I’ve spent this past year with a packed counseling load, meeting new faces and seeing old ones return. I’ve served as the special guest for several virtual church events helping people search for peace in anxious pandemic times. When a big event was cancelled due to COVID-19 and my two friends and I pivoted to respond to new community needs, I became a podcaster of Not Alone: Conversations on Faith and Wellbeing. And last but not least, I invited a dear friend of mine to join the practice.

Laura Millay, LCSW is joining Seeds of Hope Counseling beginning Monday, April 26th to offer virtual sessions for individuals in North Carolina and Georgia. Laura and I went to UNC-Chapel Hill together for our Masters in Social Work (and fun fact: I also went to Duke Divinity School with her husband!). Over the past 10 years she’s served in a variety of roles in North Carolina and Texas providing counseling, crisis management, and social service support for individuals. She and I share a lot of similar passions for working with individuals navigating anxiety and depression, especially utilizing a faith lens. I’m so excited that she’s joining the team and read more about her in the bio below.

This pandemic has brought so much uncertainty for us all. And there is still a lot that I don’t know. But as we enter this new chapter of vaccine rollouts and we start to see signs of new life as pandemic fears start to ease, I have started recognizing it as holy uncertainty. It’s the kind of uncertainty that’s not scary because we don’t have control; instead, it’s uncertainty that feels secure because we don’t need to be in control knowing that we trust God. There is something so naturally uncomfortable, yet also freeing, about living in the gray uncertainty and accepting that we don’t have it all figured out (and don’t need to!).

As we all navigate how to weave pre-pandemic and post-pandemic life together, know that Laura and I are here to walk with you. Laura has availability on Mondays and Tuesdays, and after a busy year, I've had a couple slots become available on Tuesday evenings and Friday mornings. feel free to send us an email or book via the website.

Here's to walking through holy uncertainty together,

Rev. Lindsay Geist, LCSW