Faith March 17, 2020 By
My music teacher is helping me sing notes in my upper register, also called whistle tones. In Leona Lewis’ song, Bleeding Love, she toys around with her upper register like it’s nothing. For me, it’s not so easy. At the end of the song, my body and throat begin tensing up as a prepare to sing these notes causing me to choke out the sound.
After doing this over and over, my teacher asks if I envision myself reaching for the note or landing on it. I said reaching because it’s a high note and it feels like I need to reach my hand up to grab it. She calmly encouraged me to envision myself landing on it. To tell myself I’m already there and simply rest on the note. I grinned in somewhat disbelief but was willing to give it a try. It worked! I was shocked!
That’s resonated with me especially in the recent uncertainty and angst many of us are experiencing with the constant inflow of news stories. Even if we feel okay ourselves, it can be overwhelming to hold space for others to process this pandemic on their own terms while trying to process it ourselves. Lately, I’ve found myself thinking about what I need to do, my part, my responsibility, my abilities, my priorities. Even thinking about how to soak up the positives. Said otherwise, I begin reaching for answers, control, and peace. In doing so, I can feel the tension rise in my body. Can you relate to that feeling right now?
Yet, during my morning prayer, I remembered the instruction of my teacher during my questioning and this brought forth a different question. What can Your love overcome? Where is Your heart and mind in all of this? John 16:33, Jesus says to his disciples “I have told you these things so that you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” He’s already overcome this pandemic. So what if instead of reaching for peace, as if it’s on other side of this outbreak, I simply rested in it as a gift Jesus has already given? I don’t need to wrestle with myself or the external world. I have freedom to land on the promises of God.
CS Lewis said “Relying on God has to begin all over again, every day, as if nothing had yet been done”. I hope you are encouraged to let go of the reaching and rest in His peace.
