What is Draining You?
Get Rid Of It If You Can.
I don’t intend to provide a comprehensive list of how to care for yourself. (I’ll do that in another essay.)
But here’s a question I want you to ask yourself: What is draining you?
What person, thing, activity, group, habit, situation, and places in your life drain your joy, life, energy, and holiness? What sucks your happiness?
If it’s something that’s part of your sacred purpose in life, then deal with it. But if it’s not, get rid of it!
By doing that, you’ll grow up and have more life and energy for the right things that God wants you to do.
In other words, I’m asking you to set your boundaries.
Love The Sinner And The Saint Within
We’re tempted only to see the sinner in us.
Remind yourself that there’s a saint in you, too.
In my last birthday, I had a few parties among close friends.
It has been our tradition that we honor birthday celebrants—so it was my turn to be in the hot seat.
I have to be honest with you. It’s always unnerving to be honored by friends for an hour—but after a while, I felt my Love Tank filled up.
For example, one friend recalled how I helped him during a time of need. (I did? Really?) Another friend shared how my compassion so touched her. Another friend honoured me for how I stood by him even when everyone else rejected him.
I wish the camera were on! So that I could replay them and I could hear them again—especially during times of self-doubt. When I feel bad. When I feel I’m not worthy. (Yes, I go through those times.)
This is a universal experience.
Let me end by sharing a beautiful story I read in the Chicken Soup series…
Remind Yourself That You’re A Saint Within
One day, a teacher asked her students in class to write the names of their classmates on a piece of paper. “And leave space between each name,” she instructed.
When they finished, the teacher said, “Underneath each name, I want you to write the good things you see in that person.” Immediately, the kids busied themselves with the task and managed to complete it for the whole class.
The teacher took the papers home and collated the material. On a separate piece of paper for each child, she wrote down all the positive qualities mentioned by their classmates.
In the next class, she distributed the papers to the students. They were very happy to read the letters. “Wow, am I really this person?” some of them gushed.
Many, many years later, the teacher received a phone call. One of her former students, who had become a soldier, was killed in battle. Would she want to attend the funeral?
She went and saw many of her former students condoling with the bereaved family. As she stood beside the coffin, looking at the lifeless body of a young man in uniform inside, a middle-aged woman approached her. “Are you my son’s grade school teacher?”
“Yes,” she said, “you must be his mother. My deepest condolences.”
“I’d like to show something to you,” the mother said. “My son had this inside his wallet when he died.” She pulled out a worn-out piece of paper. It was obvious that it had been folded and unfolded many times.
Even before it was opened, the teacher already knew what it was. It was the piece of paper that contained the list of positive qualities his classmates had noted about him, kept and read all through the years.
By that time, her other students had gathered around both of them.
A young man beside the teacher said, “Uh, I carry mine wherever I go too.”
A woman from behind said, “I still keep mine. It’s in my diary.”
Another man said, “I display my list on my desk at home.”
Another woman said, “It seems like all of us kept that paper all these years!”
The teacher was moved beyond words.
Why would a simple piece of paper mean so much?
Because here’s the truth: Life can be rough. At various times, it can even be cruel. Every time we fail, every time we receive criticism, every time we get rejected, we doubt our worth. We doubt our goodness.
We are very desperate for love.
We need to love the saint within us.
Friend, love yourself.
Each day, take a moment to celebrate your positive qualities. Celebrate your goodness. Celebrate your beauty.
Thank God for how wonderfully He made you.
Love the sinner and the saint within.
May your dreams come true,
Meditation: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. – Hebrews 12:1
Jesus Loves You!
Also read:
- The Best Knot Name – Finding Strength When You’re at the End of Your Rope
- Men in the Bible: The First Polygamist and Second Murderer
- After A Flash of Inspiration, What’s Next? (2)
- Reaching Rahab (1)
- I Found a Community of Believers
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