Listening
in the Midst of Change
by
Scott Stoner
In
yesterday’s reflection, Donald Fishburne writes about the overwhelming changes
that the last year has brought into all of our lives. He wrote openly about the
grief and loss that he, and no doubt, all of us, have faced. He says that in
the midst of all this change, he has experienced spiritual growth and that he
is grateful for how this year has been a form of spiritual pilgrimage.
It was just a little over a year ago that our lives
changed in ways we could never have imagined. Given a choice, most people would
prefer stability over change, and so it’s not uncommon to hear someone say that
they really don’t like change, particularly when it is unplanned. Whether we
like it or not, this year has given us all more than enough opportunities to
practice adjusting to change.
This week we will focus on listening in the midst of
change. This theme is important because it is in the midst of any change that
listening is often the most difficult to do. Change, especially when unplanned,
creates anxiety, and anxiety tends to constrict our ability to listen well. It
is worth noting in this context that the word anxious is derived from the Latin
word anguere, which means to tighten or constrict.
This week we will focus on listening to the full range of
our emotions when facing change. We will notice when we are constricting and
feeling anxious. We will also notice what helps us to be open to listening to
ourselves, one another, and to God, so that we can not only face change
directly, but actually grow in the midst of it.
Making
It Personal:
Name a few changes that have been most significant for
you in the last year.
Did any of these changes cause you to constrict with
anxiety and make it hard to be open to listening to yourself, others, or God?
What, if anything,
has helped you through this time?
Living
Well Through Lent 2021
Copyright
©2021 Scott Stoner.
All
rights reserved.
Are you finding this Lenten Devotional Series helpful?
Please COMMENT to allow me to evaluate my reactions to my blog.
Should I continue this blog I have felt to re-establish or should I discontinue?
I have already decided to continue through the Month of May 2020
to follow the Lenten Season.
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