Bring yourself to a comfortable,
Relaxed position,
Gently closing your eyes,
Relaxing your jaw and all the muscles in your face,
Bringing your shoulders down and sinking into the floor,
Feeling completely calm and centered.
Notice your breath,
Notice yourself relaxing deeper and deeper with each inhalation.
Take a deep breath in for four seconds,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold for four,
Two,
Three,
Four.
And exhale out for four seconds,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Take a deep breath in for seven seconds,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Hold for eight,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
And exhale out for seven seconds,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Let's try that again.
Deep breath in for seven seconds,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Hold for eight,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
And exhale out for seven seconds,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
I want you to think about the word courage.
Think about the way Abba Father makes us brave,
Gives us courage.
He gives us the courage to do things that are out of our comfort zone,
Making us more resilient and stronger.
Let me remind you with this Holy Scripture.
What then shall we say in response to these things?
If God is for us,
Who can be against us?
He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all,
How will he not also along with him graciously give us all things?
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?
It is God who justifies.
Who then is the one who condemns?
No one.
Christ Jesus,
Who died,
More than that,
Who was raised to life,
Is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
As it is written,
For your sake we face death all day long.
We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
No,
In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life,
Neither angels nor demons,
Neither the present nor the future,
Nor any powers,
Their height nor depth,
Or anything else in all creation,
Will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8 31 through 39.
You are resilient.
You are brave.
You are strong.
Hold that power that Christ gives us deep within your heart.
Feel your body being filled up with this divine power.
We are more than conquerors.
We are heirs to his holy throne.
As you hold this courage inside you,
Notice in front of you a new door,
A new open door.
See yourself opening this door and realizing it is an elevator that travels up high into the clouds.
Boldly step into this open door.
Feel your body now experiencing this calm as you travel up higher and higher remembering this scripture from Colossians 3 2.
Set your minds on things above,
Not on earthly things.
As I count to seven,
Feel your thoughts becoming more calm and at peace the higher you go.
Take a deep breath in,
Tensing up your whole body and then with a great exhale let it all go.
One,
Releasing any tension you have been carrying.
Let it all go.
Two,
Focus on your thoughts becoming clearer and clearer the higher you go.
Three,
Checking in with your heart,
Just noticing.
Four,
Feeling your legs relaxing.
Five,
Feeling this deep relaxation move into your feet.
Six,
Feeling your entire body come to this blissful state.
Seven,
Completely calm and relaxed,
Ready now to open the door of this elevator however you may open it.
With your mind,
With a button or a handle,
See yourself now opening this door.
As you step out from this elevator you notice that you are surrounded by beauty.
Whatever that beauty looks like to you,
See it.
Maybe there are trees or sparkling water drifting in the distance.
Whatever place that you feel most at ease,
Allow yourself to just be there in this moment.
Start to walk up a path and notice a bright and colorful garden of flowers.
Flowers that are all different shapes and sizes.
You look up and notice there are so many people around you.
You begin to pick the flowers and pass them out to the ones around you.
Notice their warmth and smiling faces of gratitude as you pass off each and every flower.
Let your heart feel this feeling of kindness and generosity.
When you are ready,
Step back into the elevator,
Traveling back to where you were before you began this meditation.
Knowing that you can come back to this place anytime,
Carry this feeling of courage and kindness with you as you gently open your eyes and begin your day.
Be well.
Shalom.
