Dear Good Samaritan, do you want to grow exponentially in your spiritual life? The secret, wise sages have found out over the years, is to face a significant adversity or crisis and to stay present with that adversity rather than “checking out” or “numbing out.” If ever there was a season of adversity to try to learn how to be present, now is the one! Being present means we notice all that is going on, we feel all of the different feelings (rather than trying to stuff them away, ignore them, or discount them), and we experience the highs and lows that accompany crises and struggles like COVID-19. So, how can we do this? A couple of ideas:

• Engage in a daily practice of contemplation. Need help? Pray As You Go offers a daily scripture reading, guided meditation, and time for reflection.
• Journal telling God how we are feeling/what we are thinking. (If you’re staring at a blank page, and don’t know what to say, write “God, I don’t know what to say” for a minimum of three pages before quitting. Believe me, this trick eventually works and you tell God what you want to say.)
• Go outside and observe the sights and sounds around you. Make a physical connection with the ground. (Psychological experts call this grounding.)
• Put down the technology. At some point, scrolling through our phones to get the latest COVID numbers, hear the latest political outrage, or to see what everyone else is doing on Instagram or Facebook is not helpful. Seeking out the latest news is not always helpful. These ratchet up our anxiety rather than lowering them. Instead, designate recurring consistent points in the day for checking news and email and text messages rather than always being available.
• If nothing else, create a gratitude list. Write down three things for which you are grateful each day. They can be as small as gratitude for a delicious cup of morning coffee to gratitude for something big like family or our children.

“God comes to you disguised as your life,” says Paula D’Arcy, an author, retreat leader, speaker, playwright, and former psychotherapist. God is coming to us, even in the midst of this crisis. Growing spiritually does not necessarily mean being able to pray in complete silence for hours a day or in having all the answers to life’s questions. Instead, growing spiritually means seeking and seeing God in the plain moments of our lives, whether they are joyful, delightful, or not.

Want to chat more about your spiritual life? Or, just looking for a time to catch up? Schedule a patio/driveway/coffee visit with me sometime soon!

Peace, Gray