How are you doing?

Really.

In Sunday’s New York Times there is an article entitled “ Why am I having weird dreams lately?” which is apparently one of the most frequently asked questions online. When I saw that I laughed because my husband and I have been asking each other that question almost every morning. There are some speculations as to why: we have more time to sleep, meaning more and longer REM cycles in our sleep which equates to more dreams as occur during the REM cycles. We are experiencing a trauma, a change to our living situation that we haven’t seen on this global level before (the complete stopping of commerce). The closest to a global deprivation was over seventy years ago during the war. There is a lot of stress and worrying and brain processing that can get all jumbled up in sleep. My dreams are a combination of past homes- while I “know” they are my former houses, the layout in the dream is different-, places I have visited, former friends, family members both living and deceased. Occasionally they contain a “plot” of a book I have read.

Regardless the combination, the dreams contain people or places I haven’t thought about in years.

So many people I talk with say the same thing. They also feel time and circumstances are surreal. They do not know what day it is. Time feels odd. The days pass slowly yet another week will go by and no one knows exactly where the time went. Feelings range from unmotivated, feeling disconnected, floundering, anger, denial to appreciation of the slowed pace and the opportunity to “get some things done around the house.”

There are lots of positive and helpful reminders online and public service announcements to stay healthy- physically and mentally. But even with practicing that, I find that I still feel that disconnect. While the routine in our household hasn’t really changed much, both my husband and I work from home and continue to do so, the weight of the present situation bears down on us. I find that I could sleep all day if I let myself. While it has been nice to catch up on some sleep, I do not like the feeling of being unmotivated. I find the reworking of priorities has me going through mixed emotions- from “why bother?” to “let’s get it done”.

When I feel that way, I try to remember to pray. With the cancellation of evening meetings and activities, you would think that I would be spending a lot of time praying but I am having trouble concentrating. I have found that I do more pop-up prayers. I will be walking along and someone comes to mind; my remembrance of them leads to a “please be with such and such in their situation” type of prayer. Or that my prayers are the thoughts that I turn to God as I go along in my day. At times I will have a running conversation, then some silence- similarly as I would with any close relationship. The writer Anne Lamott has a book entitled, “Help. Thanks. Wow”. According to her, those are the three prayers that any of us need to say. Perhaps those are the only three prayers we can say in this moment in time.

There is a recent interview with Amy Grant where she speaks about her spiritual journey. She wonders what it would take that would make one respond to God. She had asked her husband for years- What is the thing that will take your breath away- what will it take to cause you to raise your arms and have you recognize that God exists and that He loves you? He responded to her in a song, “All my life I've known of Jesus, But that connection never came…And when my Amy prays, That's when my hands raise.”

Jesus prayed and modeled prayer for us. Paul reminds us to pray without ceasing. David prayed his heart to God. Moses prayed for deliverance of his people. The prophets prayed for improved circumstances as well as national repentance. All those who prayed in the Bible prayed as in a conversation with God. Sometimes we pray for ourselves. Sometimes we pray for others.

When times are tough and out of control, prayer is the only thing we can do. While I may still feel the disconnect, I know that prayer gives me connection to the One who is in control.

What about you? Are you having weird dreams? Do they keep you up? Are you worried and anxious about much? If you could tell the author of the universe your troubles and travails, what would you say? Why not try praying for each other? Ask a friend, partner or spouse. Pick a time and pray together- over the phone or send a written prayer via text or email. You never know what might happen. Maybe your prayers would be what it takes for another to raise her hands in awe and wonder at God’s grace.

May I pray for you? I cannot guarantee that it will be sit down, hands folded, head bowed kind of prayer, but I would be honored to pray for the things most heavy on your heart. If so, just send me an email. (virginiaruth010@gmail.com)