Recently, I had reason to pause and reflect on the state of my emotions over the last six weeks. Well, first I had to recall what had transpired in the previous weeks. It had been a perfect storm in the making. The number of Covid positive cases here in Trinidad and Tobago had escalated to decidedly uncomfortable levels. I now knew persons and families, who had tested positive. I now knew persons in quarantine and those who had succumbed to the virus. There were friends who, during this period, had died from their non-communicable diseases. I was experiencing anxiety about leaving my home to go to the supermarket and stocks were running low. The State of Emergency and curfew had been implemented, so no jumping in the car for a drive or outdoor walks. I had friends with unmasked faces, who spoke of the seriousness of Covid! My desire to travel overseas was increasing, as I noted that my stocks of stationery, alcohol and lingerie were being depleted.

I recalled the many persons I had spoken to during the period, allaying their mental, emotional, spiritual and physical anxieties. I recalled the time spent on the phone, just listening to persons in need of an ear. I recalled the increased time I was devoting to prayer – praise, supplication and meditation.

I felt like a lighthouse in a storm.

A lighthouse at its best, is a beacon of hope for fishermen and their families and for all seacraft. For those at sea, it assures that land is nearby and guides them safely back to shore. For those at home or on land, it is a symbol that their loved ones will be guided home safely. Light—a symbol of hope in the most challenging times. This picture of a lighthouse in a storm, I thought, truly depicted my emotions. Note the person standing at the entrance door of the lighthouse.

It is said that peace is the ability to be calm on the inside, amid or despite turbulence on the outside. That is indeed how I feel that my years of meditation practice are reaping their reward. The external environment is currently anything but peaceful. In addition to what I shared in the opening, I am also contending with the anxiety brought on by the chatter of the print and electronic media, the distasteful social media posts and the professional complainers.

Like the lighthouse, I feel grounded. I feel grounded in my faith—a faith in one who has declared unconditional love and mercy, one who is unchanging, one who has shown time and time again that He will fulfil his promises. Just as there is peace in the eye of the storm, so too, I am like the man on the platform of the lighthouse. I am conscious of the raging storm on the outside. I am in the storm and acknowledging the peace that I can find within. Jesus is indeed my lighthouse.

Till we meet again, it’s Judy Joseph Mc Sween, Time Out Specialist, encouraging you to take a Time Out to 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”. Philippians 4:6-7, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God”.