As I strive to listen deeply, and allow myself to be heard – as I press in to pay as close attention as I can to the whispers of the Spirit of God – it occurs to me that these goals of mine are complicated by how over extended we all are. I doubt it’s possible to over-extend God’s capacity to whisper to our souls – but – something does wane in us when we do not tune in to those whispers as often as we tune into those noises that offer us no solace.

I mean – can you relate? The time change comes and for all the articles, books and experts who declare that you can “adjust your sleep by one hour per night” – a simple one hour time change seems somehow to slam my sleep into a bumpier gear for at least a week. And no one, but no one tells the cat, the dog, the child that the clock that governs every adult’s life is up to its biannual shenanigans. So – you enter another week groggier than before which is just another way to say “even behinder” than usual. And then the whole world we encounter outside of our door is suffering more than usual under the same as well. Tensions seems to be the only thing freely available in unlimited supply sometimes.

So what do we do?

Did you know that almost 20 years ago Dr. Earl Bakken created a new hospital code. You’ve heard of code blue and code red, but have you heard of code lavender? Dr. Bakken named the code after the lavender plant known which is prized for its calming properties. Like the other older codes it is a crisis code – but this one to mental well-being of anyone in the hospital and is often called after a particularly challenging patient/staff event. It’s like a psychological first-aid/crisis response intended to help all affected by the event support one another and find restoration together. It’s led by highly trained staff who offer a variety of means to allow those affected to find expression and give voice to what they saw and experienced.

I had never heard of a code lavender until recently and since I learned about it I cannot stop thinking about it and honestly – I’ll post about it in more depth later on (I’m still researching it at the moment). Code lavender response teams exist in a variety of hospital settings now – and in some institutions, it goes by other names. Regardless of the name, the code connects people to their deeper self and reintegrates them – often via deeply spiritual practices such as group and individual prayer, meditation, discussion and expression via all sorts of creative means.

I want to do a personal code lavender. Not because today itself is so bad – but because there were a lot of hard days in the last year. We laid my dad to rest. We finished emptying out the family home. I started two new programs – then there’s all the things that keep dominating the global and national news … it feels stressful. I’d like to sit with some friends and support one another and ask, when did we stop being able to even numb by scrolling through our phones – now it just hurts to do so. There’s no dopamine rush in it – just irritation. Phone games are no reprieve – they just annoy with endless ads. Too much seems like too much work. And it is no help at all to just turn to whatever flavor of news you prefer and get even madder.

And yet these are the things that are most readily available to most of us. And these things are no help at all.

I refuse to believe that things are hopeless – they are not. I refuse to believe that this is how any of us has to feel. So – I invite you to join me for a Code Hope. This is a crisis code – with potential to become a care-code. To engage in a code hope, put your phone down and grab a steaming mug of something soothing - your favorite tea or cocoa or what have you and sit down and think back to a time recently you got to spend cheering up or helping someone you love. When did you last laugh with a friend? When did you last get to help someone in some way? When did you last get to be creative – and sing, write, draw, dance, experiment in the kitchen, tend a plant, or upgrade an old item? Can you give yourself the gift of some more of that? I know I want to. I want to reflect for a spell that the toxicity of digital everything can’t hold a candle to the power of hugging a neighbor, smiling at an old friend, playing with kids, petting and brushing the pets, gazing with satisfaction upon something you made – and feel pleased with.

And I do take such quiet moments. It’s sometimes much harder than others. But I suppose this is like every really good thing – it will not happen by accident. Patience. Mercy. Generosity. Humility. All these qualities that are the hallmarks of spiritual growth and maturity. They cannot happen on their own. I think back to earlier times in my life when things seemed simpler – and there were my parents – stressed to the moon.

If I don’t slam on the brakes and pause today – when am I going to?

But the risk always feels – really risky.

Surely the answer cannot be, “well, maybe tomorrow? Or, “I’ll start next Monday.” We all know how that goes.

And yet, the more I toss caution into the wind, the more I know that giving myself this permission is me leaning on Jesus, trusting, ignoring the incessant drumbeat, and turning my head so I can more clearly hear the voice of my Shepherd calling me. And the more it makes complete sense that His call leads me toward green valleys and quiet waters.

I suppose writing Lenten blog posts, some might think it should all be alms giving, fasting, and prayer. As good as these things are I already let the cat out of the bag – they are only as good as our “want to” do them – and if our soul feels a “should” around them then – perhaps they are not what we most right now. I mean – even Thomas Keating – the great proponent of centering prayer says, “If you fall asleep during centering prayer, you must need the sleep. God doesn’t care!” Perhaps a nap is your ticket to successfully implementing your own Code Hope.

Happy napping then if that’s the case. Most importantly – may we turn and rest a breath with our Shepherd and find with Him there all He longs to give us. I will give you grace while you risk your own code hope.