I watched the starlings fly by my bedroom window at first light in a flurry that lasted only a moment before they were gone. The signal to start my day. But this was another day of lockdown and my whole being felt weak. The planned daily walk was abandoned, choosing instead to nestle indoors out of the cold wind and away from the world. Time to think.
And there was much to think about: how we are ‘all in this together’ and how ‘the world will keep turning’ and us with it. There were blessings to be found in this awful time too: how the low levels of pollution were bringing new birds into my garden and how my hermit-like existence provided the opportunity to re-read spiritual books that had lain unopened on their bookshelves for too long, reigniting a link that had become casual.
Whilst my personal link with Spirit and the strength of its love has never diminished, reading the words of others has been a true blessing, knowing that so many were feeling and experiencing their own spiritual lives in much the same way as me. The most encouraging thing is the honest way in which people are now prepared to speak of their faults and struggles with life, whilst still upholding a faith that says: “All shall be well and all manner of things shall be well.” (Julian of Norwich)
In my retreat on that cold March day, I realised the power of this belief: that what any of us goes through, that passage of time is a pointer to an eventual positive outcome. It may not immediately present itself as positive – and for many the time of pandemic has been anything but – yet if we can be patient and take an overview it will turn out to be an unforeseen blessing. Perhaps we may eventually see our personal lockdown as a blessing…
How could that be? Well, the limitations of this period have helped to concentrate our vision of how we see the world and how it could be when fears have subsided and we can reframe everyday life in a semblance of ‘normality’. We must hope that this normal will see, front and centre, a springing up of true human values – of being kind, of being conscious of another’s needs and wants instead of just our own. And let us hope that our own inner spiritual lives will be strengthened by knowing and understanding that our confinement has taught us to be more resilient and patient. We have had to look within for meaning instead of to the world outside.
But it’s going to be a challenge. Whilst people have found respite in the natural world around them, in their garden or when taking their daily walk in parks or cycling along country paths, how many, I wonder, have stopped and taken a moment to breathe in the air, look at the sky or see what is growing beneath our feet? As we emerge into the new normal, it will be interesting to see whether our views of the world have changed. Are we going to be more thoughtful, more conscious of nature and of our own inner spiritual being, or will we simply revert to the hustle and bustle of life as it was before?
In short, will we come out of this crisis as changed people willing and determined to make a better world, or will we cling to those familiar patterns and ignore the opportunity before us? Will we have learned how to look after ourselves and others spiritually as well as physically?
Our Earth is a special gift and throughout our time of confinement she has been allowed to breathe and rest in a way that has not happened for many decades. We too have been able to rest, to breathe fresh air and to open ourselves to a new way of being. All of this does not deny the hurt and pain that many have experienced and still do, and certainly we do need the support of one another. Going forward, we need to earn a living too. But we need to believe that we have the capacity and ability to shape our lives in new ways that give us a feeling of worth, satisfaction and joy. And we need to believe that we can certainly still live a full life post-pandemic, trusting that if we project a positive outlook then our needs will be met.
Hard to do? Yes, of course it seems so when you have lost your job or are struggling financially. Yet we have seen how communities have come together and shown the ways in which people can be supported, and how this can start with just one person seeing the impossible become possible and acting on it. All it can take is for our thoughts to be “can do” instead of “can’t do”, to propel a force for good to emanate from us and create a platform where the possible becomes probable.
Thought is a powerful tool. Thought aligns with the conscious energy that surrounds us all the time, creating a synthesis with which the universe can bring matter into form, be that etheric or physical. And whatever is in the etheric finally becomes physical reality. So although thought may be transient, it has form; and this form never ceases, it goes out into the energy field around us and meets consciousness. It is our mindset that makes the difference to the end result.
As we reflect on those cold days of lockdown, when we felt weak and life itself seemed in the balance, let us now go forward with the powerful thought of creating a better world and living truly human, spiritual lives.
© Ann Matkins, 2021
Ann Matkins is the author of Celestial Ambulance, a novel of gentle humour and piercing insight about life – and work – in the spirit world.
It is published by Local Legend.
