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Shalom Precious One.
I find that when in my own life I'm struggling with anxiety,
It's because it feels like life is too big for me.
In Hebrew we say,
Gadol Elay.
I don't have the capabilities or the resources or the emotional fortitude to navigate all of the complexities,
The people,
The struggles,
The wars,
The news,
The vast amount of information that's coming my way.
Or I'm struggling with the uncertainty of not knowing what the future is going to bring.
And I find that as I become a more resourced person,
The world is simultaneously becoming significantly more complex and uncertain.
There's more information coming our way,
More people coming my way for sure.
And it doesn't necessarily make it so easy to navigate anxiety over time,
Because even as I'm more resourceful,
Life is more challenging.
And so one of the things that has been a great support for me in navigating the ever-increasing challenges of life is this one pasuk,
This one line that God tells Joshua,
Yehoshua.
As he becomes the new leader of the Jewish people when Moses dies,
And as he's about to lead the people from the desert,
From this cushy place where food and shelter and everything is taken care of,
Into the unknown of going into the land of Israel,
God says to him,
Chazak ve'ematz.
And the people say to him,
Chazak ve'ematz.
He hears these words over and over again.
Now the term Chazak ve'ematz has multiple layers.
Chazak could be translated as strong,
Steadfast,
Or resilient.
And ve'ematz could be courageous,
Bold,
Or brave.
So no matter how you decide to translate these terms as be strong and courageous,
Stay resilient and bold,
Or be steadfast and brave,
There is something that Yehoshua is being told over and over again.
And I think it's because his face and his body language must be expressing a tremendous amount of fear that people are constantly offering him signs of strength.
They're saying to him,
We believe in you,
We see the light in you,
And we're offering our light and our strength to you.
And there's something about that that gives him the actual steadfastness and the actual courage to lead the Jewish people into the land with such grace and strength of leadership that we are looking for even today in our leaders.
So I want to invite you in this coming meditation to connect to these words Chazak ve'ematz as a mantra in your life,
As you imagine yourself surrounded by the people who love you and who believe in you,
Surrounded by the divine energy that always loves you and believes in you,
And that you can find within yourself that clear bell of resilience with blessings from Jerusalem.
I invite you now to find a comfortable seat and close your eyes,
Placing those precious hands of yours over your beautiful heart,
Of your chest under your hands,
Life into your nostrils.
Stay resilient,
The flames of this internal light.
Imagine that surrounding you now,
Like Joshua before you,
Were written thousands of years ago for you,
Ready to bless the world with your gaze.
