You Have to Feed Yourself

Developmental Milestone

I have found that you have to feed yourself.  As a child this is a developmental milestone, when they learn to hold the bottle and pick up the cheerios and eat.  This is a wonderful celebration for the parents as the child grows in independence.

Nourish Your Spirit and Soul

As an adult you have to relearn how to feed ourselves.  I am not talking about food for your stomach but food for your mind, soul and spirit.  I think this is a struggle for many people.  We expect someone else to feed or entertain us.  We don't nourish ourselves we numb ourselves on mindless TV or media - kinda of like fast food for the heart and soul.  We feel full but it is junk.  

My Journey

This has been a consistent problem for me during my adult life.  I become so busy "doing" that I find it hard to stop and feed, nourish or care for my heart and soul.  I have tried to create a schedule or program to follow.  This approach is good and I will continue to try and make this productive and beneficial, but I have been trying develop another way.  I found that the white knuckle approach meant that I spent a lot of time beating myself up. This negative self talk turns self care into a chore and hurt your heart.  Scripture says your heart is the wellspring of life Proverbs 4:23.  It is the place of your desires, motivation and strength. I think we have to protect our heart - scripture says it is the wellspring of life.  Feeding our hearts has to come from desire not duty.
Over the last decade I have tried to listen to my heart more.  I am trying to see it more as responding to my heart and needs instead of forced discipline. I think the metaphor is that of a fountain.  You are refreshed spiritually because of time with God. That overflows into time with yourself. That overflows into time with family and close friends and that overflows into the larger community.   Everything is a natural overflow that starts with the abundance that flows from a nourishing relationship with God.  This overflow is a natural rhythm that starts with time with God and then yourself.  

Here are some of things that I have been trying to do to nourish by soul and spirit.

• Time with God - The goal is to open my heart to experience God's life giving presence.  
• Bible Study. - Sometimes intensive study others times devotional reading.  
• Contemplative or Centering Prayer, - Fascinating forms of listening prayer not just worrying in his presence
• Lectio Divina. - This can make scripture come alive in new ways.  
• Time with Myself 
• Rest - Learning to find settled, deep stillness through physical and emotional rest and stewardship.  
• Reading - I wish I could read more.  Reading helps my creativity and creates questions that draw me to God and others.  
• Time with close friends - I have always been more of a loner but God has brought some wonderful friends into my life.

Please don't see this as an exhaustive list.  This is just where I am now.  Not where I was in the past or where I will be in the future.  How you grow should be in organic process that develops in different ways over time.

How do you Feed yourself?  What is your reaction to this idea?