You are one of those who live in the Gulf Coast areas most impacted by the Oil Spill.  There has been no settlement.  You are on razor’s edge.  The perception is that fish from the Gulf can’t be trusted to be safe.  Your own situation continues to spiral out of control.

You live in one of those southeastern states recently slammed by a tornado.  Some of your neighbors died… teens, children, older people. Homes and communities have been literally wiped off the map.  They are no more. 

Your son or husband is serving in the military and is being shipped out to one of those tense countries in the Middle East where danger is epidemic. 

Your resources are dwindling because you have been unemployed for the time allowed for receiving benefits.  You have turned to every resource you can, job searches, reeducation for new skills, part time work, anything.  Still nothing.

You hear that the consumer spending picture is looking up.  May be so for some.  Not yet for you.

You see commercials touting new cars, investment companies, luxuries of all kinds.  How do people afford any of that?

Gas prices are the driving force for worry and concern.  The steady increases influence the price tag on everything else. 

Here it is, the real 21st century world.  This is what makes up day to day living for many and by the day many more are added. 

What can they/we/any of us do to cope with what feels like an Armageddon of hopelessness?

What are you doing for yourself, others, family, friends, even casual acquaintances? 

This is no ordinary time.  Weather related disasters, political upheaval, social change, education in peril, unemployment haunting millions.  How does one draw any hope from any dimension of daily life?

Even the traditional and typical places from which hope and reassurance are sought are often lacking in trust and genuine regard for the needs of those who seek both.

Here are a few means for finding some solace in this “worst of times.”

• Identify people who are always ready to be with you, “really with you,” no matter what.
• Keep the importance of your family utmost in your relationships.
• Spend time focused on those things which have value and permanence for your life, like quiet times sitting on the porch, conversations without conflict, serene moments waiting for the sun to set.
• Choose to find meaning in meditation, contemplation, regeneration. Don’t allow the troublesome side of life to take over your own.
• Give to somebody else everyday. Give some time, attention, a gift they could surely use, like 5 pounds of flour, a bag of groceries, a couple of tickets to the movies.
• If you have pets, invest time, love and attention in them. They will always give it back.
• Take a day to stop by a nursing home to visit some friend who has resided there and has very few visitors. Lift them up with a home made bouquet of flowers from your yard. Let them know they are appreciated, even now.
• Focus on as many positives as you can imagine. Do something every hour to rid yourself of thoughts that are negative, ideas that are downers, people who never have anything nice to say.
• Identify someone who has been one of those hit by a disaster. Create some way to offer help and presence to them. Encourage others to do the same.

Now, doesn’t it feel better already to have spent time and thought on ways to be a good person, a genuinely caring person!  Put active prayer on your list of things to do. Don’t just mumble words, exercise compassion.