On Faith

On Faith October 2, 2014

Lately I’ve been praying a lot to Gaia. These are small prayers that will get me through the day, the hour and the next minute. Since mid-September I’ve been working as a customer service representative with a pharmaceutical company. I answer calls at home. We only had four days of training and each day brings new updates to our scattered handwritten and printed notes. At first I honestly didn’t think I could make it through this job that Vocational Rehabilitation found for me. I suffer from anxiety and can only handle a part-time job. However, training was sometimes seven hours a day. We also had homework so I felt like I was in college again learning several different software programs. Luckily I have a strong work history in customer service so I have the voice and attitude.

I’m glad to have a job. I really am. It just that while I’m getting used to the swing of things I’ve had to take my anxiety medication more than usual. Sometimes I need it every other day for a panic attack.

When times get hard I rely on my breathing I learned from meditation and I pray. I have faith that Gaia will wrap her arms around me and I will make it through somehow. Faith is something all religions have in common. Yet, it doesn’t seem to come up often in Paganism. Faith is confidence in a person, idea, or thing. It is also a religion. Paganism can be our faith and we can have faith in a deity, or magical item.

On the shelf of my desk sits a collection of frogs and turtles. The turtles remind me of the earth and the frogs remind me of their song. One of the frogs is a green bell and the other a wooded instrument with a ridged back. There is as stick that you can rub across the ridges to sound like a ribbet. I believe in these magical items and look up there when I need a moment of relief.

It’s so easy to lose faith under stressful circumstances but sometimes such moments make us stronger in the end. We don’t have to be alone in our struggles if we reach out to friends, family, or our Divine guides. Here at the Staff of Asclepius I relied on my friends and fellow writers CJ Blackwood and Nornoriel to fill in while I’ve been training for work. I appreciate all they’ve done!


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