You know how kids go thorugh growth spurts? They eat and sleep a lot and then next thing you know their jeans don't fit. Well I've been going through a growth spurt, in a different way. Emotionally, spiritually, relationally. And my jeans don't fit either, but it's because they're too big.
I am amazed at how emotional eating is just so much less a part of my life, and how my appetite has decreased overall. In the midst of tremendous transition and sometimes painful growth, I'm feeling more accepted and loved than ever.
How do you experience acceptance and love?
Who pours acceptance and love into your emotional cup?
If you feel accepted and loved, how does that affect the other areas of your life?
Is it easier to care for your body and heart when you accept and love yourself?
Then how does this self care, self acceptance, self love affect your relationships with God and other humans?
If sex is giving your self, then what kind of self do you think you're giving?
I'm looking forward to sharing with you some of the good changes that are taking place in my heart. Some posts will come sooner than others. Good art percolates in the heart. Love, Shula
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2 comments:
As one who struggles with weight, I realize that alot of it is connected to emotional eating. When I am on track- I tend to do a better job of taking my emotions to God, and then my eating is better.
Looking forward to your upcoming posts.
You asked:
"Is it easier to care for your body and heart when you accept and love yourself? Then how does this self care, self acceptance, self love affect your relationships with God and other humans?"
And I thought:
"Hummmm... Several times Jesus had opportunity to answer (and ask) the question, "What is the greatest commandment?"
He said:
'You shall be loving (agapao) the Lord your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with you whole comprehension.' (Deut 6:5)
He then said: 'This is the great and the foremost precept. Yet the second is like it: 'You shall be loving (agapao) your associate as yourself.'(Lev 19:8)
I was taught, unwittingly, as an unfortunate consequence of the theologies that drive modern Christianity, that self-love equals being selfish.
Hummmmm... It took me a while to figure out that if this conclusion is true then that would mean that loving your neighbour is an act of selfishness, according to what Jesus said.
So that idea can't be right.
Even though self-deprivation or 'humility', so called, did make me feel righteous...
And proud.
Of course, the greatest-but-not-superior commandment is that we are to agapao (to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly) God with our whole heart and with our whole soul and with our whole comprehension.
So, I asked, then, "How do we welcome, entertain and be fond of and love dearly...God?"
Would He like my entertainment and want my welcome? Would He smile at the fondness He perceives I have for Him in my heart?
Well this is what the Beloved Disciple said in answer to that:
"If anyone should be saying that 'I am agapaoing God,' and should be hating his brother, he is a liar; for he who is not agapaoing his brother whom he has seen can not be agapaoing God Whom he has not seen." (1 John 4:20)
How much simpler can he say it?
Oh, the self-love thingy.
Jesus said that the second-but-not-lesser commandment is that we agapao our associate as we agapao our self.
Ok. So, I asked, “Really, where does this loving thingy begin? With us agapaoing God? or with us agapaoing our self?”
My answer, from experience, is that by practicing agapaoing my associate, as I do my self, I am learning how to agapao my God of Whom I say "I love Him".
Of course, that means that I do have to agapao my self first.
And where, do you suppose, my ability to do that comes from?
If not from the goodness I share with my brothers and sisters, my siblings, the children of my very fertile Father?
And that is my answer to the questions:
"Is it easier to care for your body and heart when you accept and love yourself? Then how does this self care, self acceptance, self love affect your relationships with God and other humans?”
It's all found in knowing that you can be good and pleasing to your Father. Especially when you welcome entertain and feel fondness for and love dearly your associates, even as you do your self.
For being good is how you agapao your self and your associates, even as you were sired to be good, just like your Father and their's is good.
Love ya.
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