Photograph by Jackie Parker via Unsplash
Self-care reclaimed!
May 7, 2024
Earlier this year I joined a virtual Lenten study community where the focus was self-care. The accompanying book was “Sacred Self-Care: Daily Practices for Nurturing Our Whole Selves” by Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes. We were blessed to have the author do daily guided reflections for 49 days for the group of women to respond to. The topics ranged from shepherding self-care to defining good relationships to honoring our limits to care received and given in community. In a sense we were each other’s accountability partners. The number of women who posted and responded daily to the prompts varied from 4 to 10. We all came from different states, showing up at different times of the day, based on our time zones. We had two scheduled Zoom meetings where we saw one another and heard each other’s voices. What was so wonderful about this group is that all the women who were part of this virtual community were mothers. This time of tending the fire of self-care was truly a godly gift for all of us. We arrived with many burdens to be shouldered and with a need for self-care to be the priority during this Lenten journey.
We embraced this sacred time to live the Scripture in the gospel of John 4:14 (NIV) “but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
We drank the support of this virtual community in abundance. It was timely for me, as I had returned a few weeks prior from an intense ministry trip. I needed to process the trip and receive reminders to care for myself and my soul. I received the love and support from these strangers, a sisterhood sent by God, at this crossroad where I reclaimed REST. We shed layers of vulnerability, like mothers know how to do, and honored each other’s stories and pace at Jesus’ well of living water of self-care. In the circle of sisterhood and community curated by Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes, we gave ourselves permission to be present, to be authentic, to receive God’s abundant love. In this circle of love, we claimed, sustained, and leaned into our caring space with no apologies.
We embraced this sacred time to live the Scripture in the gospel of John 4:14 (NIV) “but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
As Mother’s Day 2024 approaches, I offer this poem to all my mothers of all hues and especially to my Sistas for whom self-care and soul-care can be too quickly denied or frowned upon.
REST DENIED – REST RECLAIMED
May you come to God’s loving hands
Observing the laments of yesterday’s hurts
Turning your backs to scorching sunrays
Hurrying to cover decades of stinging scars
Easing into today’s ambers of liberation
Resting with resilience in newfound joy
Sitting at God’s feet, reclaiming your rightful place.
Mothers-Sisters, may you find your well-deserved abundant rest in your season of life. Claim, reclaim, sustain, sit, stand, and be where God is inviting you to be. Sisters-Mothers, you are seen and loved!
An ordained minister with ABC-USA, Rev. Sandra Dorsainvil serves as a Ministry Coach and Women’s Group Retreat Facilitator with the Center for Career Development & Ministry. Fluent in English and French she has had cross-cultural lived experiences in several countries in Africa, Europe and North America. Rev. Sandra is a published author of three devotionals, “Walk with Generosity,” “Beacons of Hope” and “Luces de Esperanza,” as well as co-author of a leader’s guide for leaders of short-term mission teams of volunteers, “Short-Term Mission Team Essentials – Together on The Journey.”
The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of American Baptist Home Mission Societies.
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