Have you found the joy of hunkering down yet?  What is your perspective of the Crisis with a capital “C.”  Once I got past the fear, I found sparks of Joy.  It is time to find our bond to heaven.

You will show me the path to life,

abounding joy in your presence,

the delights at your right hand forever.

[Psalm 16:11 NABRE]

Here in South Florida things are shutting down.  Most non-essential businesses have closed and the others have limited hours.  I am blessed with the ability to work right now.  Working from home is a new experience I wasn’t sure I was up to the task.  I thought the distractions of home would be too tempting.

Here is where writing helped me, and I didn’t even realize it until they sent home me with my computer code on Wednesday!  Starting up the laptop, I plugged in the passwords and codes.  My desktop appeared and I went to work.  The house and all its duties faded to the background.  This is how I write.  If my mind doesn’t push the tasks to the subconscious, I cannot get the words on the page.

I was stunned that I could concentrate so well.  On Friday morning, I realized just how God blessed me.  Over the years, He has trained me to focus on the page.  I remind myself the tasks will get done and settle into my writing, and this week I settled into the work I needed to do.

Do I still get off track?  Yes, I do!  And let me tell you those days don’t go well!  I get frustrated and angsty (is that a word?  Well, it is now!  Hee hee).  The gift is focusing on the task at hand.  Oh, and get this,  I have fewer distractions at home than at work!  Imagine that!

Through a twelve-step program, I am taking “One Day at a Time” and “being present.”  I love the future tense with all its planning and dreaming.  But it is not where I live.  My time with the Lord has opened my eyes to the fact that while He knows all about the past and the future, He lives in the present with us.  In fact, He calls us to sit in His presence.  To follow this call, I must first put my mind in the present tense and then open my soul to the presence of God Almighty, my Father.

I write all of this to show how my perspective has changed over the years.  He blessed me and I didn’t even know it until this weekend!  My perspective of crisis has changed.  I am calmer, happier, and more productive in this crisis than any other crisis before.

Have I gotten upset and afraid while the crisis ramped up?  Yes! I have! It isn’t pretty.  It got to me when I found long lines waiting in the sun just to get into the store.  On top of that, the crowd lines up close together.   No ‘social distancing’ here!  You don’t want someone to cut the line!  I see panic reflected in the eyes above the mask.  Gloved hands grip the carts.

This is what I find contagious.  The panic infects my soul.  So far this week I have driven away from Costco and Trader Joes as they regulated the people crushing to get into their stores.  I went home feeling desperate and afraid both times.  I sought solace in my home by taking the fear to God in prayer and diving into the freezer to figure out a week’s worth of dinners.  Guess what!  The food is there waiting for us to cook and eat.

Since Saturday morning, I have not left my house.  I don’t intend to leave until my Physical Therapy appointment on Monday morning.  Shutting off the bad news, opening my heart to prayer, God, and family has been a balm to my soul.  I attended Mass online and a phone-in meeting today.  I have ignored the news and allowed my soul to heal.

Fear is where evil resides.  If we can beat that, we can find the sparks of Joy.  When you find a spark and nurture it, it grows into a warm fire, bringing comfort to our homes.  I found myself enjoying quiet time in God’s presence, reading scriptures, reading a romance novel, cooking, writing, and joking with the Princes.  I even enjoyed the work of my hands-on Thursday and Friday.  My work has met its deadlines.  The kitchen and bathroom are clean, and the laundry is done.  So much to enjoy!  We find that bond to heaven through prayer. But, also by looking for those daily sparks of Joy tendered by our Father.

What I am asking is not easy for any of us.  My heart goes out to those who have lost their love ones, health, or jobs.  It doesn’t matter if it is a temporary loss.  It is still hurts and drives us to fear.  I am praying for relief to come to those sick, dying or in financial need.  I hope you find some peace in the Lord today.

I am praying for my Family, You, our Country, and our World daily.  Let’s draw closer to our Higher Power in this time of need.

Dear God, renew our faith in you and heal our lands. “and may the Lord of the peace Himself give to you the peace always in every way; the Lord [is] with you all!”  [II Thessalonians 3:16 YLT & NKJV]

Blessings

Milly