Tuesday, June 30, 2020

IMAGINE: The Pause - Looking back and coming out of COVID lock down with Iona

Notes from "The Pause" 

You can do this exercise here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjW7Il7Fo9I

COVID has helped us to slow down. Pausing to really think about it. It is a "liminal space" for global humanity. It fertile and space for new possibilities if we are willing to pay attention and not rush to the next thing. 

This saying comes to mind:


"Don't just do something, stand there"

Be intentional about not launching in the doing. What are the gifts latent in this space? God does not stand aloof and watches us in our "merry mess" who is intimately involved and laboring for good and the flourishing of life. 

Look back over the months and notice. 

How is God present to you here and now? Very. Right there with me. 

Ask for help in remembering the glimmers of life God has been weaving during this time of COVID-19. Trust what comes to your memory and not every minute detail. 

In your memory take yourself back to right before the lockdown impacted you. Where were you and what were you doing?

I had a wonderful dinner and a Downton Abbey movie with Nancy. I went out with Amy at Applebee's. Pilates with a great class of eager students. I love my job and face to face. The very last thing was a long walk with Kim in the south end of town. School had already stopped for the kids, but we talked and talked and walked and walked. Also had Renovare meeting at six feet apart in my living room. 

Initial Shift to these different times. What do you remember? What was going on in the shift?

Sister Joan canceled my first supervision meeting with the group. We realized we would have to do Enneagram Studio E and my final module with Sustainable Faith School of Spiritual Direction by ZOOM. 

Wondering if Paul had COVID because there was the first patient, and he had cleaned the room. We could not find a thermometer or hand sanitizer or beans or toilet paper, but we were fine. I started looking at all the numbers and prayed for each country in Europe that week in the Seek God for the City app. Europe was getting it really bad at that point, especially Italy and San Marino. 

Chris died of COVID. :( One of the first people in Washington. 

Things that you found difficult or you had trouble with because of the lockdown?

The scramble to figure out how to teach Pilates by ZOOM. The learning curve was really high for me. The technology was challenging. I had done lots of ZOOM one on one and even a couple of group meetings (more Skype in the group though), and it was challenging for me to enjoy the preparation. 

What are the things that you have been missing or people and parts of life?

I really did not like teaching Pilates remotely. Half of the reason why I do it is getting on campus, seeing coworkers two times a week, and seeing my students two times a week. I love the interaction that I have with many of them as I am teaching. There are always some I bond with through conversations before and after. I miss my regulars who graduated, and I probably will not see them again. :( 

I like face-to-face spiritual direction meetings. 

Seeing Debbie for the last Boise Spiritual Direction module and what a gift it was to revitalize our friendship after not seeing each other very often. 


With that missing, maybe you have realized what you cherish and what is important to you. 

Being part of the larger Oregon State Unversity community vibe. I love the interaction with people I run into on campus, riding my bike there and back, seeing students, and moving with them in Pilates. Seeing them grow in technique. 

Small intimate gatherings over food and wine with low light and deep conversation with people. 

One on one with people

Spaces of Life opened up and more fertile during Covid-19?

Intimate lunchtime or evening walks with George. More time to talk together. 

Broader things opened up.

Saving lots of time commuting up and back to Portland for the rest of Studio E and going back and forth to Boise one more time. 

Love more time at home just being cozy at my home. I love my home. 

More time with Paul. 

Seeing Italy and the singing and the lauding of first responders. 

Seeing "Some Good News" with John K. 

Also, meeting CP and HB and the possibility of doing more Spiritual Direction online than I ever realized. Reaching a wider group of people. 

What might God want to draw your attention to?

Family is first on my priorities. My marriage is a first priority, and this is an amazing answer to prayer that we prayed to be together after seven years of him living up in Newberg/Hillsboro during the week. The timing was perfect for him to take care of his aunt in her last days and to be with his mom, but that time is over. We feel called to be back together every evening, and we don't want to go back to the way it was before COVID-19. 

It was also confirmation that we were at the end of our missional community time after a year of a being together that was really good. God is revealing we love one on one and smaller group time. 

If you could take one thing from COVID that would expand your life and the life of the world, what would it be?

Being with George full time again. 

Life of the world? More prayer for the whole world. It was really great to pray for each country during this time. I have been doing it since my teens, but it took on even deeper meaning to have us all in this fight together. 

What might you need to ask for to help you to foster or collaborate with that?

Ask for George to be given the freedom to telecommute after COVID-19 is over. 


I give thanks for remembering all the GOOD things that have happened as a result of COVID. 

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