The world around us has taken on a new, somewhat frightening appearance—at least for me—since I last posted a blog back in mid-February. The source for that fear is the Coronavirus which has reached pandemic proportions. And over the past few weeks, I have been challenged to remain centered in the spiritual truth of my being, although I am grateful to share that, like the pandemic curve we see daily on our TVs and iPads and other electronic devices, my spiritual trajectory is also moving upward, allowing me to be “in the world but not so much of it.” And that’s what this blog is all about.
When I first started hearing about this pandemic Coronavirus, I didn’t really pay too much attention to the news; it was all about far away places like China and parts of Europe, too far away to give it much more than an occasional thought during my morning prayer time. And I was very wrapped up in the daily activities of the blessed life I live, with my wife, Paula, here in The Villages, FL.
And it truly is a very blessed and full life, unlike anything I could’ve ever imagined for myself and for us before we moved here. And I attribute all of this to the fact that I had discovered Unity many, many years ago and was practicing, to the best of my ability, the teachings to which I was exposed. And all of that has had the accumulative effect that now shows up as the life I am living today.
But, like I said, things began to change for me as I became aware that the virus was now here in certain pockets of our United States, places like New York City, New Jersey, Michigan, California, Massachusetts, Louisiana, and Florida, right here in The Villages, and people were dying from it! Wow! Now it had caught my attention! As the escalation in the number of cases testing positive was increasing daily, so were the reported deaths. And most of the deaths, although certainly not all, were among the senior population. Now it was earning my daily attention which was becoming colored by the fear level clearly being voiced by not only those reporting the news but by the medical teams as well. It was hard not to get pulled into the world fear.
And that struggle, finding myself concerned while stuffing some of that below the surface in an effort to remain connected with the spiritual truth I have been claiming to “know.” You guessed it! More subtle stress was leaking into my daily life as I continued to work on the various projects and activities I had on my plate, all seeming to converge as efforts that “must get accomplished now” and were time-consuming. And all of them seemed to be adding to the stress I was experiencing.
I found myself reacting more and more frequently to little minor things going on at home. By this point some of the activities had necessarily been cancelled, the very activities that had been serving as my “family by choice,” my opportunity to hear uplifting spiritual messages and to be an active part of those Sunday and Wednesday services.
Can you relate to any of this? If so, please continue reading because there is a light at the end of this, some GOoD news!
A large part of my time was necessarily involved with the process of reviewing the publisher’s galley proofs of the latest book that’s now been published, while at the same time working on completing the manuscript for the next book in the new series of spiritual booklets. And continuing to improve the new website that I’d built with the support of Lisa Churakos of WordPress and preparing website page revisions and creating new guided meditation recordings all ate up much of my time. And, on top of that, I was having to participate in a set of online, refresher training modules in order to maintain my Q Process coach certification.
Okay. Here’s the good news. All of that was accomplished (so far, anyway) in spite of me! Just by being aware of what was going on within me and owning it and then shifting back to being who I’ve come here to be, all that I needed to move through these past weeks showed up this week in a variety of ways:
1. an opportunity to join other members of my spiritual community via a live Zoom link every morning for a 15-minute prayer/meditation gathering thus allowing me to see those beautiful faces and chat a bit before and after the prayer;
2. opportunities to serve others during this Coronavirus pandemic by making calls to them, sending them online greeting cards of encouragement, and by saying yes when asked to drive someone to/from a medical appointment or to listen to someone who is alone and very fearful as she sees herself losing control over her own life in the face of declining health and no real safety net of her children to rely upon as they dealt with their own medical conditions and family circumstances;
3. and equally important, I was able to use the tools I’ve learned to step back into my heart space, doing my Q Process worksheets (which were required of my refresher training but also are proving extremely useful in working through those moments when I find myself triggered).
So, yes, I continue to share the same concerns I’m sure you all have as well, about the Coronavirus pandemic. I now listen to the tips and suggestions on how to do shopping, complete with throw-away gloves and a cloth mask, wiping down surfaces I touch in the car after I finish my shopping (now down to just once a week), taking all the precautions of cleaning products well, and making sure my hands are thoroughly washed, and wiping down surfaces before I touch them, etc. It IS a different world in many ways! However, I am exercising divine WISDOM and LOVE for myself and others while retaining a positive view about what’s happening in the world, having FAITH that God is in the midst of all of it, guiding the way.
My life seems full once again, although definitely different, yet not overstuffed with doing as I remember to plan plenty of time for daily prayer and meditation, contemplation, and just plain fun,
feeling once again blessed to have this gift of life we’ve each been given through the Grace of God. And I hold all of you in that same Light. So, if you have any experiences to share, I’d love to hear about them!
Namaste, Steven