Treat Yourself with Kindness

Wednesday Wisdom: Staying in the Flow of Love

Last Friday, I led a spirit-filled ‘Day of Prayer’ at Mercy Center. One of the things we reflected upon was the importance of noticing what keeps us in the flow of love, and what pulls us out of it. I have found that a practice of self reflection helps me to discern that.

A few days ago, I received some disappointing news that a workshop proposal I had worked really hard on wasn’t accepted for presentation at a conference in the Spring. I felt my heart sink with discouragement. How do we stay in the flow of love, among the ups and downs of daily life, with all our feelings and challenges?

I decided to sit with my disappointment–noticing my heavy heart, noticing the stuck place inside of me, as well as noticing my attachments. I kept reminding myself that God was loving me through and through exactly as I was–and that true love is not conditional.

I didn’t try to change the situation or my feelings, but instead I just let it be. As I felt drained and dragging for a few days, I realized that the most important thing was the way I treated myself as I cycled through this. Was I going to judge myself; attack myself; reject myself?

I needed kindness and patience. Kindness is soft, accepting, patient, and loving. “Love is kind.” And through this practice of patience and treating myself with kindness, the healing power of love touched me.

Are you needing to treat yourself with more kindness right now? What would that look like for you?

Pause & Pray

• One way of being kind to yourself is noticing how you treat your body–if you’re tired, can you give yourself rest;  if your muscles are sore, can you give yourself a bath; if your emotions are intense, can you support yourself with something calming.
• Allow the flow of love to bring you ease, relaxation, and calm. Even in the midst of an inner storm, you can anchor yourself in the breath, and in the heart where love is always there, ready to hold you steady.
• Find a prayer that means something to you and remember to stay in throughout the day: Dear God, Let me remember that you are with me always, loving me through and through in all that I am feeling. 

Meditation on Calming Yourself: