Is God poking at you?

I ask the above question, because the world is under such pressure and turmoil. I ask, because He’s poking at me. So, I wonder if He’s trying to wake up others, as well. Do you find yourself inspired to pray or meditate? Have you taken or are you contemplating taking some action to help reverse the hell-bent downward spiral our country’s morality is in?

Are you in fear of losing your livelihood, of going hungry, of being taken from your home? Many Americans are. Aristotle said: “Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.” From Buddha: “Hope is the one thing stronger than fear.” From Maya Angelou: “Hope and fear cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Invite one to stay.”

All good words to take in and contemplate. Maybe take them to heart and incorporate them into your outlook on life. They could generate some actions you’ll take to improve the world for yourself and others.

How this nudging happens is subtle. For me, it was book and DVD titles jumping out at me. I’d pick them up and read the teaser from the cover. Then read or watch them. They had a soul soothing impact I wasn’t expecting. I found it was my weariness of the unrelenting hatred inflaming the world and the resulting void that held no answers that had me seeking comfort. Comfort in a form I hadn’t employed for a while. Prayer. It helped me be aware of my place in the world, my ability to help others. Some of that is me doing this.

Have you ever told someone you’d pray for them? Then went on with your day, subconsciously believing the sentiment should stand on its own. I really think you need to take a few conscious moments to pray, saying the words out loud. Even in a whisper is OK. It makes it real. Utterance of the words moves your prayer beyond a nebulous thought. Your prayer put into actual words carries weight in the spoken language. It’s like studying. It’s proven that just reading your notes or highlighted text doesn’t carry over as well during testing as writing out the words and text again when you’re cramming. Something about physically writing (I don’t know if this is the same as typing it out) locks it into your brain.

Somehow the action of your brain sending the signals to your hand to write the words really parks it into your mind. I think it’s the same with saying your prayers aloud. Silent prayer is good. But a spoken prayer is a commitment to the cosmos, a sort of pact with your maker. Start a new text acronym: POL. Let’s see if it catches on.     

Whichever spirituality you seek for comfort and relief, you might want to find space for prayer and meditation in your life right now. The world needs help. It needs the minds and hearts of people willing to embrace the light. Take that step and trust your soul in doing what’s right. Every little bit helps.

When asking yourself the question of which will occupy the space that is you, fear or hope, invite hope to stay. Give fear the boot. And then take that step toward doing the things that will aid the world to heal and get back on a path that is good for mankind. What do these actions look like? They are kindnesses. Simple as that. Be kind. And pray. Please. POL