By now if you are in auckland you will be at home locking down for a few days at least.
Yes we will be going online with lots of life again.
I know it’s not what most of us want, we want to be there in person, but I’m taking comfort and courage from parts of l the serenity prayer which says “accept the things I can not change… Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace.” (I’ll add the full prayer at the end for you.)
Those words definitely stand out today. I can’t change the fact we can’t go about normal life, that we in lockdown. And I know this unwanted hardship of lockdown is leading to peace, health of our nation.
I also want to assure you that whatever your feeling right now is OK. The news brought very mixed feelings for me. My body also had a strong reaction to the news. Sturge of energy, couldn’t stay still, had to do something, stomach churned, the bathroom called… All normal reactions to being startled and hearing unwanted news.
The difference for me this time was I noticed this. I spoke to myself kind and gently, assuring myself that my body was doing what it needed to do if I was unsafe but right now this moment I was safe.
So I planted my feet on the floor, looked around the room, noticing what was on walls and what I could see, this remind myself this very moment I am OK in a safe place. I took some slow deep breaths and talked gently to myself and reminded myself that I got through last lockdown. There were parts I did not like but some parts I did enjoy. I reminded myself I was not alone in this. I may be physically distant but I can call, text, zoom etc still. This didn’t take it all away but it did dramatically drop the impact physically by coming back to that one moment I was in.
Today I still feel on edge and had a drop in apatite and quite tired. That’s OK. That’s my body adjusting. I keep talking gently to myself and assuring myself just as I would to a child who was upset. I checked in with my people which assured me I’m not alone and have been praying the serenity prayer and breathing etc to come back to this moment I am in.
So be encouraged. We will feel alsorts if emotions in this, happy sad, mad, confused, anxious, and our bodies with also react. That’s OK. Our role right now is to take gentle care of one another and that includes yourself.
Get intouch with someone if you do you need an ear or a prayer. We are distant in space but not in heart.
Prayer for Serenity
God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;
taking, as Jesus did,
this sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it;
trusting that You will make all things right
if I surrender to Your will;
so that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.
Reinhold Niebuhr
Unedited Wonderings 