To acknowledge the truth of ourselves is to claim the sacredness of our being, without fully understanding it.
When we trust that our souls are embraced by a loving God, we can befriend ourselves and reach out to others in loving relationships.
-- Henri Nouwen
Continue Reading
One might ask, why is such a thing necessary...this notion of befriending ourselves (see link above)? It actually takes some time to discover the 'why'. Because it isn't until we run into what we are not -- in contrast to all that we think we are or want to be -- that we become aware of the serious problems with the images of ourselves we so carefully maintain.
For one thing, we are limited beings...whether we want to admit it or not. Further, we are damaging to others when our primary commitments are to ourselves. Both realities can lead to one of two things: a desperation or a humility. It is out of the latter that we have opportunity to trust the all of who we are (and are not) to God. And, it is at those moments that we access what makes us truly alive and able to be a part of extending the embracing of God to others.
