30 DoP - Day 15

It's a rainy, cold Monday here and I have to say that I am loving it. I have always enjoyed cooler weather and bundling up to leave the house this morning felt very comforting and reassuring. This being said, it went from being in the low 60s at night to suddenly upper 40s which was a bit of a shock. I'm game for cool weather, but I really enjoy a gentle lead in with a gradual decrease in temps as opposed to a 20 degree drop out of the blue. 

The sudden drop in temperature made me think about a woman I met here this summer. I taught an anti-anxiety class for free at the local library and she came to both of them. For the first class, I offered a meditation about connecting to your own heart and listening to the messages in there, and she had a very emotional reaction. I went up to her to check in and see if everything was okay and a story came tumbling out of her that had me feeling shocked along with a sense of the despair that this woman has to live with every day. She shared with me that she was homeless and that she had nowhere to go. This was in July, and she returned again in August. We spoke for a little afterwards and she shared how she had nowhere to go and had been sleeping behind one of the local supermarkets. She said how it was sort of okay for now, but that she didn't have anywhere to go for when the temperatures dropped. There are apparently no homeless shelters around here, the only one being about 45 minutes north of here that is apparently full of pretty dangerous people. She didn't know what to do and I didn't know what to say, apart from that she is in my thoughts and if I could help in any way for her to let me know.

Fast forward to this morning and me waking up shivering under the quilts on our bed. I got out of bed to put a sweatshirt on before climbing back into bed, and I thought of her. Where is she? Was she warm? Was she safe? I felt simultaneously helpless and up against a wall in some ways. It wasn't up to me to "save" her but I didn't know what to do and not feel like some privileged a-hole. I still haven't found an answer, but I am thinking of her and sending her my energy, love and prayers that she has found safe shelter and is being taken care of. 

What do we do when we can't help? Are "thoughts and prayers" enough? In many cases, they are the only things that we can offer up to people in situations that are impenetrable to us. I practice focused prayer and send reiki when I am made aware of disturbed situations and people, and I wish I could do more. 

Today's prayer prompt is Receiving

The Divine is a master of giving and receiving, the eternal flow of energy. I am a blessed receiver of love and support.

Today, my heart opens up to receive more joy, love, prosperity and freedom.

I am ready to receive the bountiful gifts of the Universe and know and trust that I am worthy of receiving the conditions for realization of my dreams.

I am so grateful for being a part of this giving, generous, loving Universe which is providing me with everything I need to be a great receiver. I know that I don't have to figure it out all on my own, I just need to be willing to be guided and to receive exactly what I need in each moment.

I ask, and I receive.

So be it.