For These Difficult Days - March 31

From March 31

Listening to the Ohio governor’s briefing today, one of the speakers reminded the listeners of the acronym HALT, often used in the world of addictions treatment and recovery. Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. It’s a quick check-up for us in these days, as each of these leave us vulnerable. Hungry – take a few minutes and get something to eat – and sit down if possible when you do it. Angry? Start by giving yourself a time out if possible. Reflect on what is fueling that anger, and determine if there might be a constructive request you can make of someone (or the Lord) to reduce that anger.

Lonely? Check in with someone you love. Social distancing is tough, but we can reach out to someone else – they may be just as lonely as we are. Tired? We’ve got to find a rhythm in these days, and that rhythm must include rest. We’re in this for the long haul, and we’ve got to take care of ourselves.

John O’Donohue’s words speak to me today:

This is the time to be slow,
Lie low to the wall
Until the bitter weather passes.

Try, as best you can, not to let
The wire brush of doubt
Scrape from your heart
All sense of yourself
And your hesitant light.

If you remain generous,
Time will come good;
And you will find your feet
Again on fresh pastures of promise,
Where the air will be kind
And blushed with beginning.🌼
- John O'Donohue

Resources

The Ohio Covid-19 website has lots of helpful information. Coronavirus.oh.gov

I’d especially recommend a list of resources for mental health concerns. Those who are distributing food during these days may want to add a flier with the information below to help our struggling clients find help. Here’s the wording the website suggests:

If you or a loved one are experiencing anxiety related to the coronavirus pandemic, help is available. Call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 (1-800-846-8517 TTY); connect with a trained counselor through the Ohio Crisis Text Line by texting the keyword “4HOPE” to 741 741; or call the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services help line at 1-877-275-6364 to find resources in your community. 

For the Kids

Some Shel Silverstein fun

http://www.shelsilverstein.com/learning/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paidsocial&utm_term=sponsoredpost&utm_campaign=shelsilversteinpoetrytree&fbclid=IwAR2QtwN6B9Qjym10puikliVOe5TzOtDHPdJXjGxgXnSe5uYPYj-3jUasYaQ

A Prayer

A blessing from Sarah Bessey

Bless the ones baking bread and leaving it on doorsteps for the parents they can’t risk seeing. Bless the ones who serve without fanfare or book deals or media attention. Bless the ones who love vulnerable children, day after day after day. Bless the ones who are lonely and alone, who are isolated and vulnerable, who are struggling to breathe.

Bless the ones who lavish grace and bandage wounds and figure out how to make ventilators in factories. Bless the ones who intubate and the ones who are crying in the stairwell, overwhelmed by caring. Bless them for they give dignity to the rest of us. Bless them because they see us and they love us anyway.

Bless them for standing in our thin places between too-much and not-enough, the places where our hearts are breaking and our fears are manifesting and we are so scared and so alone. Bless them for being the ones that show up in the fault lines to hold our hands and pray and weep with those who weep.