It seems in the blink of an eye our interconnectedness to one another and the world has become evident. COVID-19 has affected all of us, some in dramatic ways of loss and some more subtly. For over a month in California where I live, I’ve been staying at home, except for neighborhood walks. Given my intuitive abilities I’ve been frequently asked, “How long do you think this will last? Have you got any information from God?” As strange as it may seem, I haven’t asked God when the pandemic will end. It may strike you as odd, but I don’t ask questions for myself, which sometimes frustrates people close to me when they see me deal with the unknowns everyone faces. I’m reminded of the saying “God never gives us more than we can handle.” Which has always struck me as an insufficient response to someone who is suffering. Isn’t that really a version of saying, “Better suck it up, Butter Cup, because it’s going to get a whole lot bumpier?”

Though COVID-19 has definitely upped the ante on our anxiety levels, I haven’t been prompted to ask God when this is going to end. First, I don’t think God would answer this directly. As it seems when something is really awful, the answer often is “Unseen.” Perhaps that’s just another way of God saying it’s unseen how you’ll choose to handle or respond to the impending upheaval. Secondly, in my work with people, God never seems to jump over the part of encouraging, leaving room for the person to handle and evolve through it and assuring them they can. And while God is a Realist in the writings, and points people to areas they may be hiding, denying or unconscious to, God is the ultimate Encourager. Sure the reality is often encased in metaphors of beautiful prose, but they are stark and apparent nonetheless. So the transformation opportunity or liberty doesn’t lie in knowing the exact time the uncertainty will end, but emphasizes we are equipped and resourced internally, psychologically, emotionally, and by spirit to handle whatever comes. One example was in a writing where God told my friend, “You wear your wounds like a crown.” Pretty powerful image. What does it mean to wear your wounds like a crown? Were the wounds on display, collected treasures, badges of honor, or part of her sense of self-worth or value? Later on we were driving on the freeway and she was recalling this message. Just then I noticed in the next lane passing us was a white truck with a huge crown logo on the side. Underneath the logo, in big bold letters was written “Crown Disposal.” Consistently in the writings, God not only encourages us to release the refuse of our lives that doesn’t serve us, but always invites and illustrates that we are at choice and up to the task.

For many of us, COVID-19 has invited us to reconsider our priorities and reevaluate what is truly essential to our lives, and helped us identify areas, activities or things we don’t need or require. How shall we respond to the choices and tasks this pandemic places before us? Surely the scope, transmission rate and infectious nature of the virus’ spread exemplify just how interconnected we all are locally and globally. What you choose to do – stay home and follow the guidelines or disregard the recommendations – has the potential to impact your health and the health of everyone you come in contact with. While it remains “unseen” when we can all be

together again, each one of us has the power to choose love, to choose kindness and consideration for others and the whole of our communities. And our choices make the “unseen” but very real sources of love and the spirit of connection real and “seen.” The greater wisdom I think lies in the quote “Whatever the question, Love is the Answer.” While my Google search attributed this quote to Wayne Dyer, Martin Luther King Jr., John Lennon and the Dalai Lama, its original truth resonates with me. When will this pandemic end? Though we don’t have a timeframe or a how, love still remains the answer. We are all interconnected and connected, called to gently hold the paradox of being Realists, who also serve as Encouragers to one another. In this time of uncertainty, be compassionate, caring and loving with others and yourself. Reach out in kindness, make that call to someone, email that silly joke, check-in with your neighbor, or whatever rises in your heart to do. How I plan to spend this time until the pandemic ends or eases up is to choose love again and again, and I invite you to join me.