What do you do when life blindfolds you and spins you around? We think it’s our fault, that we’re to blame, when really we should be focused on being gentle with ourselves. Melody Beattie
Meditation: This past month of May has been a whirlwind. There are many extra events (graduations, confirmations, end of semester testing, family gatherings, travel needs) scheduled everywhere, throwing families off their usual schedules and their equilibrium. Politics is overwhelmingly dark and maddening. Work schedules have been crazy as well with extra meetings, extra traveling and extra strategizing events. May has been a month of temperature changes on top of all of that. Our bodies want to slow down, but instead are forced to function twice as hard as usual. Being blindfolded and spun around is a good image for the past month. When we can’t keep up and when we begin dropping and losing things, or when we don’t meet deadlines, we could start getting frustrated with ourselves and push even harder. Instead, it is so helpful to know that we belong to a merciful God who wants to comfort us in the midst of our “spinning” experience. When we are troubled, God wants to comfort us. Living grounded in God’s Grace means that we can refrain from being harsh with ourselves on top of life being rough. Instead we lean into the experience of self-compassion. We acknowledge and validate how hard the past month has been, and we give ourselves credit for still standing. Or if standing is too difficult, we sit or lay down for a while, just resting. It is wonderful to belong to a God who is patient and compassionate.
Prayer: Gracious God, when we start blaming and judging ourselves for not being more “functional”, Your Spirit intervenes. You remind us of all that has happened to and around us. You remind us of the things we could not control but that impacted us deeply. And then You fill our heart with compassion for ourselves. And after you comfort us in this way, You also give us compassion for others who are “spinning” in the dark, just like us. You are such a safe place to land. And we are grateful! Amen
God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 2. Corinthians 1:3b-4 (NLT)
Watchwords 