In these scary, turbulent, uncertain days of COVID-19 and coronavirus, people are needing to take measures & steps to stay safe & healthy. We can do things to protect ourselves & our families such as washing our hands, covering our cough, using sanitizer; all of which helps to protect our bodies from germs. We can get rest, eat sensible diets, exercise & keep socially distant to keep our bodies healthy & help minimize the spread of viruses. But how do you protect your heart & your mind during trying times? When the unknown & uncertainty loom larger than the known & certain?
I turn to God's Word, put on His Armor & pray, as instructed in Ephesians 6:10-18. The helmet of salvation protects my mind from the schemes & lies of the enemy. Daily I have to take my thoughts captive as instructed in Second Corinthians 10:5. In other words, I have to silence my inner critic, worries, doubts & fears by making what God says about me & my future louder than any negative internal dialogue that is on repeat in my head. The breastplate of righteousness protects my heart by extinguishing the fiery & flaming darts of the enemy. In Proverbs 4:23, God's Word tells us we are to, "above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Our heart is the wellspring of life; it houses our emotions & feelings, good or bad. It is said, we speak from what is in, or from the condition of, our heart. What do your words & actions say about the condition of your heart? God's been doing 'surgery' on my heart the past year...in fact, you could say He has performed a heart 'transplant,' taking my heart of stone & replacing it with a fleshy, new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). The thing is, with something that is new & tender, it is also vulnerable. I have to be more diligent in protecting it than I was with my 'old' heart because the walls I previous built up out of protection no longer exist. My 'new' heart is easily bruised & wounded, which is why it is more important than ever that I put on His Armor & read His Word daily, to receive His protection & remind myself of His truth. Without such protection, 'viruses' can infiltrate & attack my 'immune system,' rendering me susceptible to hurts that can cloud & decay my emotions, responses, actions, words & deeds over time.
Yes, we are in unprecedented times. Yes, we need to wash our hands for protection...perhaps it's also the perfect time to cleanse, per se, our hearts & minds for protection as well by 'scrubbing' what we allow in & access to both. Stay safe & sanitize on, my friends!
"Through every battle,
through every heartbreak,
through every circumstance...
I believe You are my fortress..."
(excerpt from "The Way" by Pat Barrett)
Warrior pose.
This image has so many meanings, from a yoga pose to the stance we take when we pray.
Yoga, like prayer, brings peace.
Prayer, like yoga, channels our inner strength.
You could say in both, we leave everything on the mat.
There's a reason we're called to daily put on the Armor of God; to take up the Shield of Faith and to yield the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Not only is it biblical, but when we arm ourselves with these weapons, we become warriors as we pray. In raising our Shield, we protect our hearts - the wellspring of life, the center of our emotions. In prayer, we go to battle for ourselves, our minds, our families, our friends, our country, the world, our concerns, etc.
When we take this warrior prayer stance, we become stronger, not weaker. We are never more powerful, and a bigger threat to the enemy, than we are when we are in a position of prayer; whether on our knees, face down on the floor, or in a chair with folded hands & bowed heads. In this posture, we take our fight to Heaven & God, and His angel army goes to battle on our behalf.
Prayer opens the floodgates to Heaven and brings God's presence & peace that surpasses all understanding. When we pray, we take our concerns, celebration, & commitments to the Lord. In doing so, we humble ourselves and realize the battle is not ours; it is His...and He has already won the victory!
These are trying & uncertain times. Put your trust in the One who is trustworthy, faithful & true. In raising our petitions & praise to the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, we are reminded that it is not by our might but in & through His that we are made strong. In His Word, God reminds us that "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor. 12:9-11).
This is how I fight my battles. God has never let me down & promises to never leave nor forsake me. He also promises, that when we draw close to Him, He will draw close to us. He bottles our tears and knows our needs before & without us even uttering a word.
So, call upon God in prayer & you'll find yourself in the most peaceful, powerful pose, per se, ever.
The following thoughts started flowing after reading today's 'Compassion Means Action' entry in Christine Caine's "Unshakeable" devotional during my quiet time this morning...
In the current craziness, and at times (if we let it), overwhelming uncertainty of all that is going on in the world, I pray that we lead, walk & act out of compassion...for others...and ourselves. Many times we don't realize something needs fixing until it's broken. Rest is easy to ignore until it's 'thrust' upon us, per se. For the most part, trying & difficult times thankfully compels us, out of our compassion, to want to help everyone. But what if, during these emotional, trying & challenging times, we're called to help & serve those in front of us...the ones in our immediate & direct path...you know, our 'tribe', 'squad', 'circle'...our family & friends. I have a running 'to do' list that, due to life's busyness, I haven't been able to get to...unpacking, exercising, adequate sleep, writing thank you notes, writing in general, working my side business, reaching out to & catching up with family & friends, finishing my 2020 vision board, authentic & intentional (versus rushed) devotional/quiet time...and the list goes on and on and on. So, in this 'forced' time of 'social distancing,' rather than allowing aggravation & inconvenience to take hold, I am taking a posture of gratitude for the time to reset, recharge, rest, reassess, & reprioritize. The timing of this all during Lent is interesting. Lent is a time when we allow space of less - less of: us, busyness, have to's, etc. in order to allow for more to come & blossom - more of: God, light, love & compassion.
Trying times can bring out the best, and unfortunately sometimes, the worst in humanity & ourselves. Just this morning, while scrolling on Facebook, I read both about one friend's car getting stolen from their own driveway and about another's engagement. Polar opposite events, taking place within the same 24-hour span, that evoke polar opposite emotions & responses. I pray that we do not allow what's going on in the world to bring out the worst in us, i.e. fighting in aisles over toilet paper, but rather that we rise to the occasion and let our best, our most compassionate side shine forth & through...of course while washing our hands, covering our cough & staying safe.
