Thursday, September 10, 2020
Anne McSally
Seek
“Seek” is a verb, defined as “an attempt to find, obtain, or achieve something”, or “to find someone”.
My earliest memory of seeking is from when I was three years old. I remember awakening in the middle of the night to our house shaking violently in a terrifying thunderstorm. The angels were bowling above me! Feeling very small and scared, I crept carefully down the long, dark hall, seeking the comfort and reassurance of my parents. Once nestled snugly in their large, warm bed, I quickly fell back to sleep.
While more than a half century has passed since that frightful night, life has been full of many more times seeking, including challenging times living in many different places to achieve admission to graduate school and to work in both public health and pediatric medicine. There were long, crazy hours to provide a home for myself and eventually my future family. During these years, while working and then raising a family, many things were sought including community, friendship, love, health, safety, happiness, and peace.
It has been a challenging time for many and I deeply miss the comfort in the ritual of attending St. John’s. A good friend lost her husband to the virus early on. Two friends lost their elderly mothers. One friend has closed her business. Another friend’s teenager was ill back in February and thankfully recovered. Other friends and colleagues continue to work on the front line in hospitals and teaching. It’s been a heartbreaking time for people I know and love. They are all my heroes.
During these unprecedented and scary times, I find myself grateful for a moment to pause, breathe deeply, and carefully consider the spiritual world around us. A walk by St. John’s and then along Portsmouth’s beautiful working waterfront provides inspiration many days. The breeze is often gentle, the birds are chirping and the squirrels are busy collecting. The vibrant gardens at Prescott Park share their fragrant fall scents and soothe my soul. Families picnic with their little ones toddling about. There is hope.
1 Chronicles 22:19 provides inspiration today:
“Now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God”.
This was David’s instruction to the people in building the House of God. Here, we learn that there is much work to be done. However, as we come to understand that even while we are busy working, we must put our earthly distractions aside and open our minds and hearts to the Spirit. It is there, in the dark scary night, that we find solace. In the House of the Lord is where we find that which we seek.