Taking Nothing for Granted

Reflections from Rev. Jeanne Loveless, Minister & Teacher

“Everything in the world is changing quickly. So, take nothing for granted. Stay wide awake in prayer.”

-I Peter 4: 7

On Wednesday, I drove to Hayward for a meeting with Kristina. Kristina and I have had many meetings since she has served as UCH Moderator. And we have always gotten a lot done, had a good visit, and shared tasty food at Baldis Café. But this week it was different. We are still in the Orange Tier here in Alameda County, and the pandemic has upended the lives of many and left livelihoods, and lives in shambles and many empty chairs at the table. In some parts of the world- like India, and Brazil- the pandemic is absolutely raging. And on a more personal level at our house, the end of Zoom school has not been easy, our son is not vaccinated yet, and I’m exhausted and like many of us have a new ongoing malady I’ll call “pandemic brain” that makes it hard for me to stay focused. But as I drove to Hayward on Wednesday morning, I noticed something important. I was holding all of these complexities. But I was also happy. Why? Because it was our first in-person, unmasked, fully vaccinated, back-yard Moderator/Minister meeting since March 2020. 

This stage of the pandemic is giving us a unique opportunity. It’s inviting us to notice- as we emerge from the pandemic a little at a time- what we may have taken for granted in the past. (Church meetings, hugs, smiles, eating in restaurants, not having to wear masks in safe situations, worship at UCH). And I believe it is inviting us to express gratitude for what we have; even if it’s not the way we want it to be, even if we are grieving, and even if there is no going back to the way things were. Cultivating a “take nothing for granted and stay awake in prayer” mindset, won’t make all of the challenges go away. This is no invitation to spiritual bypassing. But expressing gratitude for the things we have taken for granted in the past can be a powerful practice in spiritual mental health and I believe it will help us find the ground in the present moment, so we can take gentle steps forward into new places as individuals, as a congregation, and as a nation, and members of the global community. 

What have you taken for granted? And what are you grateful for on this day? Journal it. Pray about it. Knit over it. Walk in the neighborhood with it. I’ll start. Today I’m grateful for church meetings that don’t have to be on Zoom, for the opportunity to see Kristina smile and laugh in-person, and for my calling to serve as your Minister & Teacher- even in the “everything in the world is changing quickly" challenging places. 

Love and Blessings, Rev. Jeanne