connecting with your spirit 157
Source of Power in the Universe. You can confess directly to God,
or you could ask in your journalizing for God to reveal someone to
you who might become your spiritual mentor. Enjoy this time with
your Creator, and co - create your spiritual healing. He or she will
be glad to hear from you again!
Love and Forgive Your Enemies,
Including YourselfIn a recent Lenten scriptural commentary (Luke 6:27 – 36), I was
reminded of Jesus ’ commandment to love our enemies. Although
I could easily imagine enemies such as Hitler or Osama bin Laden,
it was really the fi rst time that I had considered that this scripture
was not only about the most obviously sinful people but about all
of us, for aren ’ t we our own worst enemies? I realized that every
time I judged myself, held onto recriminations, or otherwise didn ’ t
forgive myself for some self - perceived failings, I was unwittingly
getting in my own way.
This insight, that I am probably my own worst enemy, chal-
lenged me to take an inventory of things that hurt or frustrated
me and events or bodily responses such as illnesses that angered
or annoyed me. Then I needed to consider whether I viewed these
as my enemies and fought them, or viewed them as my teachers,
providing an invitation and an opportunity for spiritual growth and
healing. I recalled how much internal struggle I had felt with my
out - of - control emotional attachment to resentment; despite
my desire and prayers to stop doing what I knew was hurting me
more than it was anyone else, I felt addicted to it. It was a deeply
ingrained habit and response to any situation in which I felt that
an authority fi gure was trying to impede my freedom or restrict
my opinion. This process led me to remember the last act of my
healing story.
Prior to the weekend of my spiritual and emotional healing
from the root cause of my crippling joint disorder, I had spent nine
months intensifying my desire to be totally healed and whole. I
had been seeking God and people who I felt were fi lled with His