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Dear Friends,
Are we having fun? Yes! Are we doing good works in the name of God? Yes! Is our faith and commitment strong? Absolutely! Do we see our neighbor, are we mindful of what is going on in the world, and do we respond in ways that contribute to the healing and loving that the world needs? Do we create the space and time in our lives to make all this possible? I went to a training on Saturday put on by the Meta Peace Team. After they gave us skills and knowledge to be effective peacemakers in our community they talked about self-care. Sometimes, especially those of us in professions of healing and caring for others, we forget to take care of ourselves. For me this was the best part of the training because to be effective and to be present to the needs of others we must tend to ourselves as well. This means a good priority list, good boundaries, going where we can do our best work, and taking time to care for ourselves - eating well, exercise, and spending time relaxing or doing the things we like to do which give us joy. I had always struggled with this until I had to confront my tendency toward codependency. This happened when I was in Clinical Pastoral Education. I made this one of my goals and I have maintained this ever since. What happens to us when we slow down and deal with what we must and then let the rest go? We are less anxious, less complaintive, and more centered in life. There is a balance that gets struck where we can find peace in the midst of our obligations. Our health no longer suffers. Our desire to do everything, please everyone, feel as though we have to say yes to everything, or feel that we might miss out on something only lead us to being less available to others. I know - weird - but it does work in reverse. I know this because I have learned the importance of prioritizing my activity as well as setting boundaries and taking good care of myself. Bottom line - God loves us to love others, yet God loves us to love ourselves. One cannot exist without the other. Love abounds. Let us not forget that God's love incorporates us all! Even ourselves. Warmly and with love, Mother Lily |