By Mercy Zou Taithul
Summer season is here! Who doesn’t love summer – the bright sunshine, the extra-long days, green grasses and trees, unfrozen lakes and rivers, gorgeous Golden Hour, and so much more?
During summer I love to walk around the lake. People are out with their dogs, family, or friends, or maybe just by themselves. I find that all this activity lightens my heart.
“As I kept staring, I could hear my inner self telling me, “What if you stop panicking and overthinking and instead were flowing with faith, hope and trust?”
Although I have walked around the lake quite often, I haven’t paid much attention to the water until recently. But, recently I had one of those rough weekends where I felt overwhelmed and stressed mentally and emotionally. I cried to myself at night staring at the stars, grieving for my loved ones who perished, missing my family who are in India, feeling loneliness even though there are 314,841,420 people in America.
Life transitions and international challenges – death, sickness, poverty, war – were overwhelming me. Sometimes having a compassionate heart can be heavy (even though I know it’s a gift). With so much suffering, I have a lot of “Why” questions to ask God.
THE NEXT MORNING I woke up with the sunlight reflecting through my window. Ah! My mind and soul were filled with hope.
Later that evening, I went for a walk around Bde Maka Ska. As I walked, I saw a duck swimming. I walked towards the dock, staring at the duck floating in water that seemed so calm and relaxing. I envied that duck (which, I know, is weird thing to say, but I did).
As I kept staring, I could hear my inner self telling me, “What if you stop panicking and overthinking and instead were flowing with faith, hope and trust? Remember that, when you panic in the water, you sink deeper and deeper (not being a strong swimmer). Just like that if you let your fear, stress, and temptation control you, you will drown yourself. It’s not because of the water but you.”
That thought hit me real hard because, sometimes in life, we create our own imagination and expectations rather than flowing with God’s plan. I remember: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
“Remember that, when you panic in the water, you sink deeper and deeper.”
Before I left the dock, I engaged a practice that I learned from Nicholas Tangen, called the 5-to-1. (I call it spiritual mindfulness practice for me.) Basically, you close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and then name five things you see, four things you hear, three things you can touch, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This practice allows me to connect with God and simply to acknowledge God’s blessings with all the senses.
I was amazed to experience over and over how we can connect with God’s creation, and to recognize how it can teach us life lessons, … if we pay attention to it and not take an advantage of it.