Taking Time for Wholeness
I am still learning about myself. I guess at 32 it is pretty naive to think that i know everything there is to know about myself, and what my needs are. But it doesn't stop me from assuming that i do. At this stage in life i have a good amount of things figured out. I know that i am introverted, i know that i love being outside in nature, i know that i am obsessed with old crime shows (i love Murder she wrote, don't judge me), and i know when i am in need of that extra help called therapy. But this summer that all changed for me, i found myself questioning quite a few things, and bearing it all in prayer hoping to get answers to why my sturdy sense of self was not so sturdy after all.
There was baggage, heavy baggage not addressed for 20 years. Baggage that blindsided me and made me realize that God was revealing the areas in my life that was in need of healing. Healing that would lead to wholeness, something only he can provide. Before i move forward, i would like to add that this post was very much inspired by an article i read in Grit and Virtue (linked here ) that interviewed woman from all walks of life about finding wholeness in their busy lives. Reading these woman's word reminded me of something i have failed to do over the years, make room for my wholeness and my completeness with Christ.
I am no way at the end of this journey to wholeness where i can tell you all the tips and tricks, i am right at the starting line. Lacing up my shoes unaware of how long this run will be and if there will be any surprised hurdles i will have to navigate over. What i can tell you is that at the start of finding wholeness through Christ, there is a revealing of sorts, a clear out of all the old junk kept in the back for no one to see, things that are forgotten but almost always play a role in the person we are shaped to be. The goodness is that we are not alone in this journey, and navigating the new territories do not have to be a daunting task. I like to think of the path to wholeness as a relay race, we pass each other on the way but not without exchanging words of hope and encouragement. This is the way Christ wanted us to live, in community with each other helping when the baggage of life becomes to much to bare.
Take time to discover what finding wholeness looks like for you, and get started. Whether that's through prayer, therapy, a group text, or a tough conversation. No part of it is easy or even natural. Our culture has made a lot of money keeping us distracted and desensitized to our own needs. That's the problem, our loads are often heavy yet we have no clue that we are dragging through life. However something happens when we recognize that we are dragging, exhausted and ready to give up, we look for change. That change may be in different forms, but the outcome is invaluable.
Our values change. We learn about what truly matters to us.
Our relationship with ourselves change. We learn to love, be kind and give ourselves grace when life gets tough. Because whatever life throws our way does not devalue who we are.
We evolve and constant growth (personally and within our relationships) becomes possible.
There is a quote I've heard over and over again in the last few years that i absolutely love. It says that, "God is is the processes of growth, just as he is in the results of our growth." I love that. I love the idea that i am not alone in the growing pains of adulthood, and the pains of shedding old skin. No matter how you chose to look at your life, and whether or not you have a relationship with Christ, growth is inevitable if wholeness is what you desire. The process is rigorous and exhausting, but the results are worth the possibility of a changed heart and a new sense of worth.
