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I recently reread this little snippet of Jesus’ life and was overwhelmed in a new and fresh way by Gods heart towards me and you Beloved. Its not the typical 1 Corinthians 13 love letter we are so used to hearing at weddings or times when we want to talk about love in Christian contexts. But I was utterly floored by the little nuances of the passage and the love of God expressed in Jesus’ actions. If you haven’t already, take a moment to click on the link now, and reacquaint yourself with this story. My heart goes out to this woman, my heart goes out to myself. This woman had “suffered a great deal under the care of many physicians and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew only worse.” I don’t know about you, but maybe like me, you have spent a disproportionate amount of money on different clothes, beauty regimes, diets and wellness routines all in an attempt to feel better. All in an attempt to like what you see in the mirror and feel good about what you see; to feel good in your own body. To lay your head down at night and feel safe and good in your own mind and heart rather than anxious, overwhelmed and insecure. And yet after all that, after everything, after all the money spent, nothing has really changed. Maybe exactly like this woman, you suffer from dysmenorrhoea, endometriosis or any number of period related problems. I know for many years I did too. For many years, I not only struggled with my period but suffered at the hands of merciless advertising and impossible beauty standards. Even today, elements of the wellbeing industry can accidentally find itself quite toxic: promising things it cannot deliver. As soothing as a nice smelling candle is, it cannot replace the Shalom of God. Peace and wellness which are gifts from God, that He freely gives and longs to give you and me. No jumping through hoops, no strings no conditions. (Don’t get me wrong, I’m obsessed with essential oils and nice smelling candles and I probably do still spend a disproportionate amount of money on them haha!). The point is, though, loving yourself, or even simply liking who you are starts with hearing the voice of Love say to you, just like He did to the woman in the story: “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” It starts with the hardest thing about God’s Love: simply believing that it’s true and doggedly reorienting and aligning how you think about yourself to that truth: the truth that you are beautiful, fearfully and wonderfully made. Letting your faith in this one truth begin to change you from the inside out. It starts with treating your body like it is the home of Love. There is no need to prove or perform or pretend, love does not envy or boast; there is no need to compete compare and contrast your life against anyone else’s; love is not self seeking. The beauty of all of this is that God is Love. These qualities you wish to feel for yourself, God already feels towards you; every moment of every day! So even if you cannot like yourself today, it doesn’t matter because who are you and who am I to desecrate that which God himself calls not just very good but holy ground. “Then Christ will make his home in your heart, as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow deep, down into God's Love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.” [ Ephesians 3:17 ] More than anything this week beautiful friend I hope and pray these words for you. That in the months to come you may see the fruit and reap the benefits of the little interior redesign of these last few weeks. And just like that, so ends the shortest month of the year! More thoughts on the passage in Mark 5 in your Yoga Flow Savasana this week. My deep hope is that, the time of meditation and rest together truly impacts and blesses your week beautiful friend.
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