Spiritual Strength

 Sunday’s Daily Word was Strength.

“…from “The Prayer of Faith” by Hannah More Kohaus: “God is my strength, unfailing, quick.” The strength of God is my strength, and it’s more than sufficient to meet my every need. More than toughness or forcefulness, spiritual strength is quiet fortitude, a rootedness in the inexhaustible wellspring of the Divine….bringing renewed clarity to my thoughts. The strength of God is my strength.”

Boy do I need that reminder.

My mom is 95 and had a minor stroke last May. Since then she’s lost vocabulary and some cognition though she still lives on her own with a companion coming in three days a week and one of my sisters another two days, each for a few hours to help prepare meals and keep her company and get her out on walks. Me, living 800 miles away, I can call most days and recently drove there to spend 2 weeks with her. It is difficult to be so far away as she struggles with fairly common daily events.

This is Maddi, all 10 pounds of her,
a toy size Chocolate Miniature Schnauzer

My husband and I adopted a dog in January. She was “rehomed” with us - she’s now in her 4^th home. She is now 1 year and 3 months old and seems to have separation anxiety. Four homes in that amount of time is a lot of upset. She also barks at everything that either walks or drives by our house – a trainer called her “on patrol.” She has many sweet qualities but these other not so sweet qualities are extremely challenging right now. We are committed to keeping her, working on these challenges and waiting, hoping she outgrows some of the anxiety when she’s been with us longer. (I have the names of a veterinary behaviorist and a separation anxiety trainer.)

The Covid-19 Pandemic (do I capitalize P?) has changed so much in my life (as it probably has in most other people’s lives) – either by eliminating my walks with the Hunterdon Hiking Club or by me doing some of the errands my husband usually did. Lunch with friends stopped. Being at home most of the last year and some months has had its up sides – I’ve been reading a lot and walking in the nearby park. It also has led to some “what do I do now” questions to keep me from sitting all day every day.

The above meditation from Unity and keeping in mind Courage which I remind myself every time I drive my car (see April 29 post) brings this clarity: Draw on my inner strength. I know it’s there; it has been my savior; it is me. So I talk to myself a lot, replacing negativity and fear with peace and calm. And breathe deeply regularly. 

I wish the same for all of you.

~ Jean