This week I went to a new dentist, and had a new hygienist, as my old dentist retired. It may not seem like a big deal to many, yet when you have a mouth like mine, without a palate, and have to expose your wounds to a new person, it stirred up some anxiety within me.
As I laid on the chair, I circled back through many of the techniques I learned through my walk with cancer to help bring calm to the storm of my mind; putting my palms up, picturing the circles of love around me, praying for others, etc.
As I put those tools into practice, my mind grew quiet enough to hear the voices nearby. What I heard captured my attention immediately. A person was told they needed to go and get a ct scan that day to check out something.
My heart dropped. I’ve been the patient who was told they saw something and to get a ct scan that day.
It was in that moment that I knew that I was in that chair in this new space for a reason that day. I was there to pray for this person nearby. Though I never saw his face, and he’ll never know I was praying for him, God gave me enough peace of mind to tune out my anxiety to tune into to someone who needed love and prayer.
I share this with you today in case you too are experiencing anxiety of some kind and/or your thoughts are circling around and around a situation. I invite you to join me to...
pause. breathe. pray.
May we recognize that sometimes our angst keeps our minds circling and our eyes on ourselves. This is normal and natural. Yet what I have learned in life is often our angst can take us away from our purpose, to love others beside us.
The truth is someone beside us needs love today. Whether it is someone in our family, a friend, or a stranger you may overhear saying something close by.
May we do what we can to lift our eyes up and be a light of love their way, even if it’s a prayer in the silence of our hearts. May we be part of their healing, and allow them to be part of ours.
With love and hope,
Shawn