How Do You Face the Unknown?
“God comes to us disguised as our life. Everything belongs; God uses everything. There are no dead-ends. There is no wasted energy. Everything. ”
On November 8th, we will mark the first anniversary of the 2018 Camp Fire that nearly obliterated the town of Paradise, CA, killed 85, burned over 150,000 acres and left our own Marilyn Colbert homeless. Fortunately, Marilyn has landed securely back here among us and for this, we are very grateful.
And as I write this reflection on Tuesday, October the 29th, we are still living through another devastating fire season filled with mass evacuations, power outages, and toxic smoke.
One of the hardest things about living through wildfires and hurricanes is that it is easy to fall into a “worry” loop as your anxiety increases about all the unknowns. Will the power be on tonight? Will the air be smoky tomorrow? Am I ready to evacuate? And of course, if I have to evacuate, where will I go to be safe? Add to that the trauma of watching the destruction happen with graphic video and horrifying detail. Then multiply all that worry and anxiety by each day that you go without being able to reduce the “cone of uncertainty”.
Right now, all the public safety entities are pushing out preparedness messages about “Go Bags” and “emergency kits”, but no one is inviting folks to be prepared for the worry and anxiety that goes along with these events, perhaps because these are spiritual and emotional issues and most folks would rather talk about physical concerns instead of feelings and spiritual practice.
As people of faith and practice, we have the opportunity to apply our spiritual wisdom and practice in small, daily challenges so that when the going gets tough, we’ve already got practices and tools that help us navigate difficulty. If you’re feeling lost, these questions might help you unlock the resources you already have that can help.
How do you prepare to face the unknown? When disaster is on the horizon, what helps you find courage and strength? What role does being part of a spiritual community play in your spiritual preparedness for disaster?