Social Distancing and Self Care

Dear Church Family,
 
Like you, we are practicing "social distancing". I grow more in awareness of my personal role in this practice - wanting to care for myself and family and to respect the concerns of others. As you know, I have a small dog who needs a lot of exercise. As I take him out, I have grown more aware of signs of "normal life" or life as we knew it before the pandemic. I witnessed adults playing catch with children. I watch and remember how this simple expression of play and bonding warms my heart. I am grateful for their expression of living and making the best of things. This week our congregant, Cathy Richman, posted on Facebook a photo of she and her granddaughters with hand made cards they made for folks who were shut in at convalescent homes. Again, my heart is warmed by the act of kindness and creativity that Cathy is instilling into a younger generation and for creating a time of play and bonding. Many of us are reaching out to friends, family and neighbors in ways we hadn't considered before. Some of us like to talk - a phone call to someone, especially someone who is alone, may be a very welcomed reminder that they are connected to a community, world and spirit bigger than themselves. I encourage to reach out via phone, email or text to those you love and care for to remind them - they are not alone. 
 
We have been encouraged to "hunker down" or "shelter in place." While these expressions are meant to direct us to stay at home and take care of ourselves, the words themselves also imply to remain idle, to survive and endure, to wait until things pass. It creates a consciousness that encourages us to be small and not move. There are times that we are called upon to stop everything, take inventory, pray and meditate and seek inner guidance. We call that a time to "go within" or spiritual exploration.   
 
We are blessed with knowing the Truth of God. The Truth of God reveals to us that every experience is an opportunity to grow. Individually we choose how we will respond to any experience and how we will grow in consciousness. Felicia Searcy encourages to understand that this can be "the transformational event in our life," if we choose it to be. The image of transformation isn't to "hunker down", but rather to be expansive in our body, mind and spirit. Transformation comes "leaning into the facts and conditions" of whatever humanity is dealing with and to call it what it is in a spirit of neutrality. For example: "Yes, humanity is experiencing the effects of COVID19, the manifestation of this event has affected me (how)?" 
 
After we lean into the facts and conditions of a condition, we then control the narrative that we create around the circumstances of life. We've been making up our narrative all along, now especially we can be mindful about the story we are creating about our interactions with the world. Felicia advises us to use Truth statements: "There is a Power now moving through me that is greater than (more magnificent than, etc.) anything outside (factor or condition) of me."   Affirmations or Truth statements are a powerful tool that appear chaotic as they help ground us in Truth. 
 
Part of our narrative is the realization that we have faced other challenges in our lives - and this is a time to recall the times we grew through challenge. Challenges can bring us to a deeper awareness and consciousness. Think of those times and remember what you learned in the past. Honor your ability to walk through fire - its not always comfortable, but through God that has Its being in you - you are strong and resilient.
 
Finally, Felicia challenges us to take an inventory of all the ways our challenge or experience can be good. Write it down. Claim the good in everything! Part of my inventory of good coming from this time of "social distancing" is allowing this time at home to be focused on my eating habits. Being at home and planning meals helps me to eat consciously. As a result I have lost weight and gained much more energy. 
 
Like you, I don't discount the suffering that is going on around the world. I lean into that Truth. As a former Hospice Chaplain I have sat with many patients as they suffered. I was sure of my role then as I am today. When others suffer we offer compassion, kindness, and relief in any form that is possible. We also see the one who is suffering as the Christ does - We see them rightly as complete and perfect souls. We affirm their perfection as spiritual beings. We see their light and bless them.
 
This can be a transformational experience for all of us as we hold the perfection of God in our thoughts, words, feelings and actions. I encourage you to be expansive and allow spirit to move through you in a profound way. 
 
Many blessings,
Pastor Robert