Daily Dose (Oct 8 – 11)

TUESDAY OCT 8 —
This week, sleeping in the storm. The gift and empowerment–alive and well inside us–of being able to rise above the noise.
And here’s the deal: If we don’t bring this gift with us, we’re not going to find it there.
This I know: Our resources will be adequate if, in the midst of the storms, we affirm who we are, remember what we are here to do, and claim the presence of the One who never leaves us.
Because we have the power of choice, we can learn that the storm recalibrates our internal balance.
And I loved this definition (a new word for me) for Lifequake: A significant, sudden and unexpected shift in the trajectory of your life that initially feels devastating but has the beneficial outcome of catalyzing personal growth, transformation and rebirth.
And this from Maria Shriver, “Our journalistic mission here at The Sunday Paper is to always rise above the noise, the hatred, the division, and to present viewpoints that help us find a new way forward, that help us move humanity forward… In fact, my friend and colleague who was back in South Carolina with her mom recounted this to me about being in Hurricane Helene’s path: ‘Experiencing something as devastating and sobering as Helene reminded me just how insignificant all the other noise is in the grand scheme of things.’”
Thank you for all the kind words from so many of you for the people in Western North Carolina as they navigate their lifequake.
And for our friends who are evacuating Florida as Milton will make landfall on Wednesday. We carry you in our hearts and prayers.
WEDNESDAY OCT 9 —
This week, sleeping in the storm. The gift and empowerment of being able to rise above the noise. And we are able to honor that when we know the sufficiency that is alive and well inside of us.
There is a story about a Zen priest in China, when the warlords were plundering villages at the early part of the 20th century. When one particular village heard that the warlord was headed toward them, all of the people fled to the hills—except one priest. When the warlord arrived, he inquired if anyone was left in the village. The answer was, “Only the priest in the temple.”
The warlord commanded, “Bring him to me.”
When the priest was brought into his presence, the warlord drew his sword and cried, “Do you know who I am? I am he who can run you through with this sword and never bat an eye.”
The Zen priest gave his reply, “Do you know who I am? I am he who can be run through with your sword and never bat an eye.”
Okay, maybe we’re not there yet, but I just loved seeing the power of choice, affirming that this power is within.
And this I know: Our resources will be adequate if, in the midst of the storms, we affirm who we are, remember what we are here to do, and claim the presence of the One who never leaves us.
And let us remember, as we walk through life, if we don’t bring this gift with us, we’re not going to find it there.
I can tell you that my heart resonated reading the story of the Zen priest, as I do want that kind of self-assurance, especially when I come face to face with the threats and fears and storms in my life.
We are still holding our friends and loved ones, many who have evacuated parts of Florida, and will remember that we are better when we navigate this together.
THURSDAY OCT 10 —
On that day, when evening had come, Jesus said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”
And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.
But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (The Gospel of Mark)
This week, sleeping in the storm. The gift and empowerment of being able to rise above the noise. And we embrace the permission to honor the sufficiency that is alive and well inside of us.
The storm part—when the world as we know it goes catawampus—we all know.
Like it or not, no one of us is insulated from the common, messy, tragic, inconvenient and unfortunate experiences of life. And they (the unknown and the weighty) sometimes “strike” so suddenly.
And this is the lesson of the Mark’s story about Jesus asleep in the boat: the storm is not just the circumstances (however precarious), but that the real storm is what re-calibrates our internal balance. You know, the storm that keeps us from sleeping. Because we’re not our best self.
In other words, this story is not just about a storm, it is about our ability to sleep. Or, more literally, to be at rest. At peace.
Yes… to “go within every day and find the inner strength so that the world will not blow your candle out.” (Katherine Dunham)
I can tell you; I want some of that.
As I write this, it is hours before Milton hits Florida. And with our hearts and prayers we want to help carry the weight that our Florida friends and families now carry.
FRIDAY OCT 11 —
This week, sleeping in the storm. The gift and empowerment of being able to rise above the noise. And we embrace the permission to honor the sufficiency that is alive and well inside of us.
However, this we know; when life gets messy, we forget (or can’t see) the sufficiency. And we see only scarcity. And that, takes a toll. It’s as if we’ve internalized the “storm’, now living “in between”—meaning I live “if only” or “when” (you know, when life becomes normal again). Which means that I often live reactive, or at the mercy of.
For many people, that toll takes root in our spirit and psyche, and our mental health (mental well-being) is weighed down. I write this on World Mental Health Day. And for those who are going through storms this week, physical and mental (and I add myself to that list), this Daily Sabbath Moment is a Gentle Pause button, to allow us to hear these words from John Green, “There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.”
And these, from Brené Brown, “Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.”
Here are two prayers that did my heart good today. Let us take them into our weekend, and the week to come.
A Prayer for World Mental Health Day
God of compassion,
You meant us to be both fragile and ordinary.
Silence the voices that say we are not good enough,
Haven’t achieved enough,
Haven’t enough to show for our lives,
That we are not enough.
Help us to know that we are treasure,
We are prized,
We are cherished,
We are loved.
Infinitely.
By you.
So be with us in our corrugations of feeling:
When our hearts are in downward freefall, be with us
When our minds race with anxiety, be with us
When our throats close in fear, be with us
When sleep will not come, be with us
When waking hurts, be with us.
In the name of Jesus,
Who knew trauma, abuse, despair and abandonment
And has nothing but love for us,
Amen
By Alison Webster
A blessing Prayer
May the Lord God Bless you each step of Life’s way.
May you learn each day to open yourself to love and the blessings of love.
May you find a stick to lean on when the road is hard–and not use the stick to beat yourself.
May you be blessed with life’s abundance and blessed in poor days too, learning again what really matters, what lasts.
May you never give in to despair or the lie that nothing can change.
May you find ways of life and walk them with courage, knowing that every step is within the heart of Christ who holds all our days in love.
Rev Dr Christopher Jenkins
And we continue to check in with our friends and families in Florida after Milton. And a shoutout to all first responders and rescue heroes.
Prayer for our week…
At the end of the day,
We give thanks for the hours that were given.
The buds that brought beauty to the land
And the vision of a world
Creating
A vision of work to do
Rituals to bring back the hope and the delight
Practices that center the mind in peace
Time that passes so beyond this day and night
We give thanks for the conversations that were
Holy work
Holy hands
Holy ounces of breath in and breath out
And we scatter the rest to the wind
To die back or to create forth
Beauty
Donna Knutson
Photo… “Hi Terry, Finally made it to Stonehenge (Salisbury, UK).” Mary Jo Sharp… Thank you Mary Jo… I’m so grateful for your photos, please send them to [email protected]