Greeting the Day

Prayer for most spiritual seekers becomes a life-long exploration that is re-visited continuously.

We yearn for enthusiasm on days weighted with ennui,
meaning when it all seems meaningless,
and connection when we feel separate.

From experience I intuit that prayer is my go-to place, yet keeping this almost abstract activity effective and relevant requires maintenance.

Rote recitation, like a mantra, can provide a centering when overstimulated, and gives me a sense of connection to the divine, but there are times when I need something else from prayer.

That something more today is understanding. Why do I pray today? What do I hope to achieve?

In the context of this blog, heroin addiction (substitute any form of false God--gambling and crimes of money, body image obsession, shopping, crystal meth) and the toll it takes on our spiritual condition, I believe the answer to my question is to find strength and trust that my actions matter.

I cannot cure my family member's compulsion, just as my prayers in hospital as assistant Chaplain will not cure the patient's affliction.

This excerpt from jewishvirtuallibrary.org on blessing/prayer gave me the insight I was looking for:

Many English-speaking people find the idea of berakhot very confusing. To them, the word "blessing" seems to imply that the person saying the blessing is conferring some benefit on the person he is speaking to. For example, in Catholic tradition, a person making a confession begins by asking the priest to bless him. Yet in a berakhah, the person saying the blessing is speaking to G-d. How can the creation confer a benefit upon the Creator?
This confusion stems largely from difficulties in the translation. The Hebrew word "barukh" is not a verb describing what we do to G-d; it is an adjective describing G-d as the source of all blessings. When we recite a berakhah, we are not blessing G-d; we are expressing wonder at how blessed G-d is.

Today, whether our loved one is alive, or our loved one has died from an addiction but lives in our memories, let us feel connected to the wonder of the divine, and know that our lives still matter.

Why I Do What I Do: Finding Purpose

Feeling useless because you haven't found that dream job yet?
Every day matters while you are waiting, and volunteering can be a small step towards discovering the kind of employment that will not only pay the bills, but also incorporate that peculiarly human need for a sense of "calling".

A patient, whose name will remain nameless, at the Hospital where I do volunteer Chaplaincy (visiting the sick) was perched at the threshold of his room. He sat in his wheelchair, eyes peering towards his future, wearing a pink Tee and a hopeful countenance.

I learned that he was waiting to be discharged, always good news in a place where that isn"t necessarily the order on the chart.

He spoke in a pleasant and upbeat tone about his imminent homecoming, and how some hospital representatives would be accompanying him to make sure his home was set up so that he could manage his daily tasks.

I smiled, but didn't inquire as to the type of special accommodations he would need, as we Chaplain's assistants are trained NOT to ask about specific diagnoses...

As we ended our little chat and I wished him a safe journey, my eyes inadvertently lowered, and I saw for the first time the bandages of a recent amputation, mid calf. Smiling again and saying goodbye, I walked away with a profound sense of awe. This cheerful and kind man blessed ME with the privilege of receiving his strength, gratitude and conviction that no matter what, life is something to look forward to.

We Find Our Own Ways to Cope...

My faith bolsters my ability to detach with love~

In Judaism, it is the season for reflection, between Passover and Shavuot, called the
Counting of the Omer.

Today is day eight, and our tradition offers us the holy attributes of Love within Strength to meditate on,  building strength and faith in God's ability to help us find courage, peace and strength through adversity.

May all the women immersed in pain find solace in the contemplation of God's grace.