Finding Grace: Daily Comfort for Uncertain Times

Copyright © 2019 Eiman Al Zaabi.

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ISBN: 978-1-9822-3594-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-3596-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019915271

Balboa Press rev. date: 05/26/2021

Contents

Introduction

Becoming

Part 1 Winter

Connection

Ways of Being

Trust

Part 2 Spring

Self-Nourishment

Growth

Intention

Part 3 Summer

Control & Free Will

Truth

Dreams

Action

Part 4 Fall

Mind

Purpose

Prayer

Surrender

Introduction

These are times of great uncertainty. Each day, we hear unsettling news from every corner of the world. Social and political polarization is increasing. Hateful speech fans the flames of violence. Long-held values like compassion and respect seem to be eroding. Materialism and greed have left whole segments of society economically insecure. Technology and social media have stolen the intimacy of our personal interactions, pressuring us to prioritize appearances over true connection. Environmental degradation continues, and we are now living with unprecedented, real effects of climate change, leaving us questioning whether we will be able to turn things around.

We humans have always found life to be uncertain, even under the best of circumstances. But today, we have moved from individual experiences of uncertainty in our daily lives to a shared unrest that brings a deep sense of anxiety crawling beneath our skin. Uncertainty scatters us like feathers in the wind. We are not sure where we are going and when the nightmare of our worst reality will end. We long for answers, seeking reassurance that we will be okay and that there is a secure future for our children.

The cumulative effect of this turbulence can be exhausting. We may have trouble sleeping or, worst of all, become apathetic. We begin to wonder: How long can this go on? How long can I go on? Responding to the challenges of the modern world is an endurance event, not a sprint. It’s essential that we learn how to swim through the dark waves to reach the light.

Coping with today’s reality begins with understanding that chaos is a force for growth. In any complex system, including the entirety of life on earth, every outcome is very sensitive to small differences in initial conditions. Chaotic systems naturally move between stability and instability, and this ebb and flow—whether expressed withina flock of birds migrating, a solar storm, or a human society—is a dynamic force that drives change. Evolution does not happen in stable systems or during tranquil times.

Because of the scale of the problems we are facing—climate change, widespread poverty, and political instability—it’s tempting to assume that ordinary humans are just helpless victims. We might feel that we have no choice but to wait and see how things turn out. Yet each of us has a role to play, and we must take responsibility. Each of our actions has effects on other people and on this planet. These are among the tiny changes that instigate evolution. We bear responsibility for our footprint in the world. With every action we take, we choose either that which supports us or that which strains us, as individuals or as a collective.

The Divine is speaking to us through all of our current challenges. It’s time we listened. The chaos of