Hi my friends! I’m sorry I have been MIA. As you know Doug and I have moved which has been a huge change for us.
To be honest, I have experienced a great deal of anxiety with the move, complicated by an inability to find a call, a wee health challenge, and the loss of a beloved friend. The Big 4 heavy stressors hitting all at once!
Yet, I don’t know of anyone that hasn’t experienced some type of challenge, loss, or suffering in their lives.
Many people are still experiencing severe anxiety in light of the pandemic, job loss, relationship struggles, and money challenges.
After talking to a number of folks about some of their struggles and stories I found 4 common Elements that I believe strengthen us and build our resilience.
The first element is Faith. Faith is “being certain of what we hope for and certain of that which we cannot see.” (Hebrews 11:1)
Faith, hope, a knowing, that you can handle adversity because you feel certain there is a bigger picture, higher purpose, and Essence that is within the struggle.
It is that Essence that boosts faith and rekindles hope!
It is that Essence that we connect with in Prayer the 2nd Element. We quiet the mind, reconnect within, and with the Essence that is our source of hope, and the still small voice within that faith and prayer give rise to.
Faith and prayer are not exclusive to religion. Faith and prayer are about life. It is about connecting within to be grounded, present, and aware.
Knowing that God is our Essence, our “Being” that is manifested in all that is – in all of us.
This leads us to the 3rd Element: we are never truly alone.
I’m sure too have experienced being in a crowd and feeling lonely. We may become preoccupied, distracted, ruminating on what is lacking rather than what gifts there are in the presence of others.
We forget that God is near, as close as the very breath that we take. I feel it is that Essence within us that connects us and inspires others to reach out to care for us in our time of struggle.
Someone shows up to help unexpectantly, a text from a friend arrives to encourage you, another cooks a meal for you, and on and on it goes.
God is always met in the other. In the other person who is helping you, inspiring you, and giving you hope to continue.
The 4th Essence is reciprocating care, compassion, and love that we received and to then reach out to “All my Relations United as One” (John 17:21) sharing hope.
It is faith, prayer, connection, and love that are the Essence of all of life bringing oneness out of diversity, wholeness out of brokenness, and compassion out of our struggles.
Let us walk together to erase human division and build a world in which humanKIND is ONE.
One Breath ~ One Heartbeat ~ One Song in Harmony Together.
Until next time many blessings, Rev. Sharon