Just last night, I saw a short reel on Facebook featuring Dr. Josh Axe (no, he's not a quack) describing how debilitating the "news of the world" can be to those of us who are sensitive, and ... well ... pretty much all of humanity.
As he says, we're not meant to know everything, all the time. Our brains have a difficult time processing the pain and trauma our fellow humans are experiencing, and then dealing with the guilt of not being able to do anything.
We can't all save the whales, the trees, the pangolins and people. We just can't. So we go into a space of empathy overload and fatigue, and eventually burn out.
I have a cure for that burn out, m'kay?
It's called prayer.
Yeah. That thing that some people will roll their eyes about and say "Oh sure, go pray while thousands are dying. I hope it makes you feel better while everyone is suffering."
You know what?
It does help.
My first experience with prayer came at a very early age when some athletes at the Olympic games in Munich were being held hostage and I went to church with my mother in the middle of the afternoon to pray, together with a hundred other people.
I had no idea what was going on, but I knew "the world" was upset.
Whether or not my mother went because she was trying to impress someone or because she really cared isn't my concern anymore. I remember a beautiful older woman kneeling next to me and assuring that God would hear little nobody me if I asked Him to protect those people in Germany who must be so scared.
She explained to me what was happening, and so we prayed together. She didn't say the "Hail Mary" a hundred times either. She didn't grab her rosary and look at me as though I was a terrible blight on humanity for not whispering a jelly of words through my dry mouth, no.
She told me to ask God to help me understand why people were sad, and to help those who were being hurt.
She said, "Just talk to him, he will hear you. I promise."
And I did.
And I have been ever since.
My heart has a little white light that becomes brighter when I do. Yours will too.
We can't save everyone and everything. But... we can make the world a little brighter when it feels terribly dark.
Right now, many of my prayers are for Myanmar and Thailand. It's all I can do. And maybe it's all you can do too, but it does make a difference.
Thanks for taking a moment to visit and reflect on these words. Bright Blessings to all!
~ Rev. Sarah
(An abbreviated version of this also appears on our Facebook Page)
You are not alone!
(Graphic is our own)
The White Light Express Mission Statement:
Since October 2001, the mission of the White Light Express has been to offer healing and transformation through focused positive intention, meditation and prayer. Right Thought is the first step toward Right Action and consciousness. We believe that “holding the vibration” is a profound task and our divine destiny.
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