Rate Your Present Moment

Rate your present moment. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 the lowest (most depressed or sad), and 10 the highest (normal joy and energy) -- where are you now?

Spiritual awakeness to the eternal now, determines the height of whatever good is being discerned, experienced, felt -- especially in the midst of dark, sad, shocking things. At the worst of times, the Light that is God, Love, still burns within you. There is no getting away from it. Therefore, the scale you are considering has no zero. Even if you think you are at a "one," that indicates the presence of at least a flicker of hope --  a tiny but perceptible realization of God's presence of Good.

How can we get more spiritually awake (increasing the number on the scale of normalcy and energy of joy)?

Here is how NOT to do it. When we have a nightmare, sometimes we tend to stay there in bed ruminating over it. We might go over what happened and think out ways to escape, fix, or change whatever bad stuff presented itself in the dream. This elongates that which is causing dismay.

The best course is to shake yourself from the bed and get up. Put on the light and start actively looking around to see where you really are. Become active in even the most mundane activity, and it will assuredly draw you away from the nightmare. You quickly come into your true sense of what's real and where you are.

Spiritual awakening can parallel this strategy. Turn away from the dark evidence for just one minute, and let's see where we really are. The Scriptures say, "In Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=move+and+have+our+being&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1

If we are "in Him," we are now in Spirit, in the universe of Love that fills all space. Now get active. Engage in an activity of unselfish love. Ideas: ask someone what you could do to make their day better. Start a letter (or write a journal page) of forgiveness to someone. Give special attention to a pet. Call someone on the phone with intent to make them smile. Wash the dishes! Hold someone's hand. Do something.

Even the great prophet Elijah was so depressed once that he didn't want to live any longer. He ran away laid down under a juniper tree (I Kings 19:4). Angels came (the light, the awakening) and got him up -- provided food and drink. Be careful -- don't lay down again. Elijah was so distressed, that he did exactly that. But the persistent angels came again and forced him up. He went on the strength of the spiritual food, truths, and drink, water of life, provided, all the way to Mount Horeb -- (like the 10 on our scale). God's presence was seen and felt as a "still small voice." Elijah helped and healed many people after that, and so will you. "Rise and eat," as the angel said to Elijah. You, "rise and eat." Get your rating of present moment up at least one notch, then the direction upward shall continue. You are of great value to our Father and you are loved.
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=juniper+tree&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1