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Hopeful Spiritual Practices for Uncertain Times

By Rachelle Mee-Chapman

Last night my normally energetic husband, Paul, flopped down on the couch with a drink in his hand. It was only 9pm, but clearly he was down for the count. “What’s wrong?” I asked, “Are you feeling depleted?” Paul sighed and replied wryly, “I feel like I’ve been on a really long vacation and the whole thing sucked.” A week ago his company had announced there would be layoffs. Then they added they wouldn’t announce who would get laid off until the following week. The days in between the two announcements stretched out long and unproductive as everyone waited for the other shoe to drop. People worried over lunch, speculated over the office dividers, and gathered in conference rooms to brainstorm what they would do next. Although Paul’s job was spared, many of his colleagues were let go, including our closest friends, who now have to leave their international post here in Denmark and return to the States. These are indeed uncertain times, but it seems clear from national and international fervor that these are also times of hope. How can you reduce the anxiety of the one and nurture the reality of the other? Here are three spiritual practices that might soothe and strengthen your soul in times like these.

Walk in the Dark

“It’s always darkest before the dawn.” This is an old saying, but it’s been around so long because so often, it applies. If you are someone who is a kinetic or physical learner, this spiritual practice may be a good fit for you. Walk in the dark. Literally. Get up early, just before dawn and go for a walk. Watch the light creep up over the horizon. Notice how the details of your city, town, or country lane become visible as the sun rises. Watch how clarity comes with the dawn. Invite your soul to see this as the reality of God’s daily provision to us – the light comes into the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it. Light always wins. This then, is our hope – demonstrated every day in the simplicity and spectacle of a sunrise. Move your body through the darkness and into the light and see how it impacts your soul.

Ride out the Wave in Writing

For those of you who journal, you already know how powerful the pen can be – as a tool for inspiration and as an instrument in healing. Recently when I was feeling bogged down by insecurity, writer Laura Ruth Healy reminded me to “Write your way out of the dark. Use your pen as a flashlight.” The Spirit has embedded wisdom and healing deep within your soul. Your intuitive self will connect with this wisdom and light the way out of the darkness and into the light of hope. Sit down with a blank sheet and a pen. Just start writing “I hope….” or “I am hopeful that…” It’s okay if nothing comes to you at first. Just keep writing that phrase over and over until words start to follow it. Trust that the Spirit is guiding your heart and telling you true things. Repeat as needed.

Breathe True Things

Sometimes when things feel unstable, you need support with every breath. That’s why I like mantras. Mantras are statements that affirm a positive reality in your life. I like to think of them as simple repeated prayers. Thirteenth Century Christian mystic Julian of Norwich is famous for one of my favorite mantras: “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” She wrote these lines after having a vision in which the whole world appeared as something the size of a hazelnut held in the hand of a loving God. A few years ago I started using a mantra inspired by Julian’s vision, “In the hand of God, I lie.” One of the things I like best about this mantra that it can be said in one deep breath, half on the inhale and half on the exhale. Anything can become a mantra – a passage from scripture, a line from a song or poem, a phrase that comes to you in prayer. Try breathing your mantra several times a day. Some good times to anchor yourself in your mantra’s reality are: at each meal; upon rising and at bedtime; or when you leave or arrive at work, home or school. In time the truth of your mantra will sink into your heart and become the hopeful reality of your living.

Rachelle Mee-Chapman is Seattle-based alternative minister, writer, and mom living
abroad in Copenhagen Denmark. Rachelle invites you to find your Soultribe at Magpie
Girl. www.magpie-girl.com