Anxiety During the Coronavirus: Part 10, Finding Faith in These Times.

This is a guest post by Linda Hermann, M.Ed. LPC with The Marriage and Family Institute (click here for a link to her site)

Maybe you know the story of the Israelites wandering in the dessert for 40 years after they were led out of Egypt?

-So a leader had appeared....his name was Moses (some of you may be envisioning Charlton Heston right now)...he helped them stand up the Pharaoh and to be released from slavery. You think they’d be grateful, right? Well, just like a lot of us in this century, they quickly began to complain. They turned their back on their faith because life was hard in this new place. So God let them wander..... for 40 years... before coming to their Promised Land.

What they didn’t realize, and what we don’t often acknowledge, is
we grow the most in the land between Egypt and the Promised Land.

Faith in something bigger than ourselves can really flourish there....not in spite of, but because we are being tested. And we are certainly being tested now.

This can be a time to renew/refresh that part of yourself, no matter what your spiritual background:

-Many churches have on line services where you can “worship together” from your living room (live and recorded). Easter is coming. Tune in to an online Good Friday or Maundy/Holy Thursday service to remember why you are remembering this time.

-Mitzvahs - Temple Isreal, St Louis, is pairing up youth pen pals with shut in seniors... do something good!- passover starts Wednesday.....this year’s could be an extremely memorable one.

-Passover is a celebration of spring, of birth and rebirth, of a journey from slavery to freedom, and of taking responsibility for yourself, the community, and the world.

- if nature is your sacred space, be sure to take some time to commune with it. Try forest bathing “Just be with trees. No hiking, no counting steps on a Fitbit. You can sit or meander, but the point is to relax rather than accomplish anything” says writer E. Livni.

• -  In recovery? Visit an online 12 step group.

• -  Set up a space in your house for prayer or meditation and commit to 10 minutes a

  day there

• -  Pray for others. Caring about others takes the focus off your fear.

• -  Listen to podcasts, the audio bible, or the Calm app, the Pray app... refreshing your

  spirit on your daily walk

  St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, often talked about two forces in our interior lives: one that draws us toward God and the other away from God. Let this be time that draws us into our spirituality, not away from it.

  Yes, we are in the place between Egypt and our promised land....this is your time to not just endure, but to grow.