Archive for the ‘Spirituality’ Category

I had the best time as a guest on Sharon Marquart’s blog radio show, Living At Yes! Sharon is a spiritual life coach and a delightful, energetic woman. She is a gifted at helping people remove the stumbling blocks that keep you from saying yes to your most magnificent life. YES = You Embracing Spirit.

Her show is on every Monday evening at 6 PM and she has fascinating guests who offer tips for living a fully integrated life: body, mind and spirit. They talk about a variety of topics and simply listening to her show is healing!

We not only talked about the stress of job loss, but lots of practical tips for coping with any life transitions. For so many people, it feels like you’re running in place all the time and just can’t get a break. I hope you’ll listen to the interview and find new ways to say “yes” to living your very best!

Thanks Sharon for having me as a guest! Check out her whimsical site at www.LivingAtYes.com

This is the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and those hardly folks in Biloxi, MS. are hosting the Tears to Cheers Festival. It’s a week-long celebration to remember their losses, showcase their triumphs, and look to the future. It sounds a lot like what goes on with job seekers every day: promoting your accomplishments to hiring managers and hoping they will catapult you into a brighter future.

Less than 7 days after the hurricane, I was volunteering as the only chaplain at Biloxi Regional Medical Center. The resilient, spirited folks I met stayed in my heart partly because I came away with some powerful life lessons. They taught me what it means to have the courage to believe. This phrase became a touchstone in my life, especially while I was unemployed.

So, in tribute to the people who call Biloxi home as well as all the Katrina survivors along the Gulf Coast, here’s the story from my book about finding the courage to believe.  

The Courage To Believe

From my own experience and conversations I have had with other job seekers, one trait we all seem to share is courage. It takes tremendous courage to face the reality of job loss, to stay positive in the face of overwhelming odds, and to be honest with yourself, family, and friends. The phrase “have the courage to believe” is a touchstone in my life. I’ll share the story of why these words are so special to me, in the hope that you will be inspired to continue in your job search with renewed hope and faith.

Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, I served as a chaplain at a hospital in Biloxi, Mississippi. With little warning, people lost their homes, possessions, vehicles, livelihoods, places of worship, and entire communities. They were left to mourn the deaths of family, friends, and beloved pets. Their sense of security and way of life was cruelly washed away under the cover of darkness.

Biloxi Lighthouse after Hurricane Katrina

Some had nothing but the clothes they wore and a plastic bag holding what remained of their personal possessions. As I listened to their stories, one
common theme was clear. They were thankful to be alive; and despite all of the loss, they continued to look forward to a new day. Their faith, hope, and
can-do attitude touched my heart.

I had several in-depth conversations with a man named Leopold. Reflecting on his losses, he said, “I have no idea who I am today; and I don’t know how
to figure out who I will become tomorrow.”

We talked about finding the courage to keep the faith and continue to believe. We stumbled upon the phrase “have the courage to believe.” It summed up the inner fortitude needed even to imagine rebuilding one’s life and community. Those words profoundly influenced me, and became the guiding force in my life.

Courage comes from the French word Coeur, which means heart. It takes a big heart and bold faith to believe in invisible possibilities when there is nothing solid to hold on to. The Sufi philosopher, Rumi, said it best: “Where there is ruin, there is hope for treasure.”

Having the courage to believe became more meaningful to me during my unemployment. When I hit my worst, felt sorry for myself, or wondered how to fix my unraveling life, I remembered the inner strength of those hurricane survivors. Life as they knew it was washed away, and still, they had the courage to believe life would be good again.

Unemployment continues to sweep across the United States and the world. Like a natural disaster, it can leave a wide path of destruction in its wake, affecting lives and communities. Some people survive job loss and grow into their best lives; some learn a powerful life lesson, some struggle, yet manage to keep it together; some barely hang on, and for some, life is now tragic beyond words.

I pray these words and this story will shine light into your current darkness and give you hope. May you be filled with the courage to believe. Take these words into your heart and know that when everything around you is changing or appears lost, a new day is coming. Be open, and believe in endless possibilities.

I Let My Best Self Shine Through when I live my life with courage and conviction. I have the courage to believe I can overcome any obstacles in my life. I am inspired by the way folks on the Gulf Coast continue to have hope and faith as they rebuild their lives.

At my church when the pastor asks for joys and concerns, folks speak right up! We celebrate milestones like baby’s first steps, our new bilingual school, birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations. We lament illnesses, deaths, job losses, disasters, war and the plight of the hungry and homeless. It’s okay to share what ever is on your heart.

Yesterday, two situations yielded prayer requests that caused me to pause and reflect on our need for prayer and our willingness to ask for prayer.

One member stopped at a coffee shop on her way to church. The young woman who served up the latté asked if she was going to church and if so, would she pray for her. Like so many folks who work on Sunday, the coffee shop employee misses the fellowship of a faith community, and fortunately, felt led to express her need for prayer.

The other person needing prayer was a down-on-his luck stranger with end stage cancer. He happened upon our church steps and shared his story with a member before services. During joys and concerns, she asked for prayers for him and expressed her regret for not urging him to join us for worship.

To everyone’s surprise, he stood to say he had felt welcomed. In a tearful voice he asked for prayers to be able to return home, some 12 hours drive north, to die in peace.

Both requests pulled on my heartstrings in a big way. I thought about how many people feel the need for prayers and don’t have anyone to ask or don’t feel comfortable asking for prayers. There are lots of job seekers and their families in that situation…who carry so many burdens and can use a prayer.

Whether you have a faith tradition or not, you’re always in my prayers. Here’s a special prayer for you today. It’s for hope, endurance and encouragement and comes to you from my heart.

Creator, you must hear so many prayers from job seekers and their loved one. Prayers for help finding a job, for making ends meet, for guidance as to which way to turn. I pray you will surround each person looking for work with the assurance they aren’t alone, that You and others care about them, and that even in the dark days, better times will come. Give them hope when they feel they’ve exhausted all their resources, and open new paths when doors seem to be shut tight. May they be greeted in interviews by kind caring people who see the best in them and place them in jobs that will use their talents and skills. For families, lift the burdensome worries from parents, and help children to know above all else they are loved. Help our national leaders to look beyond their personal comfort and agendas, and govern in a way that is for our people’s highest good. Hear the prayer of the one reading this and grant them your grace and mercy. For peace, comfort, compassion, hope and abundance, I pray for all who search for jobs. Shalom and amen. 

It’s a perfect time to Let Your Best Self Shine!