Journal of Sacred Work

Caregivers have superpowers! Radical Loving Care illuminates the divine truth that caregiving is not just a job. It is Sacred Work.

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The light of divine love
longs to shine
through every being
open your heart
and welcome that presence
to rise like the sun within you

~Anon

Healing is restorative in nature and the body’s ability to heal is miraculous. In the day-to-day, we may not take notice of the extraordinary workings of our human body and instead experience ourselves  as commonplace. We take for granted our ability to move freely, to think and to create in our world.  Our senses enable us to enjoy simple pleasures  but without much contemplation on our part. Yet, scientists fall in love with all the mystery and discoveries in the emerging beauty of life.

 Events, such as illness or injury, big or small, can change our lives in a moment. It comes in the guise of a wake-up call. Abruptly, we are shook from complacency as we arrive in the “naked now” and become keenly aware of the miracle of our existence.

 If you have ever had this kind of experience, it shakes you to the core; you know it is an awakening. Suddenly, our priorities shift, all that is superfluous falls away, leaving only the essentials. This can be a sobering experience as well as enlightening. Perhaps it comes as a little nudge, a warning, reminding us that our time here is precious.

 The potential for healing encompasses not only physical but our emotional and spiritual well-being. We are a microcosm of our universe (the macrocosm). As an ecosystem, all parts need to work in cooperation to support the whole and to achieve a life sustaining balance. How do we counteract the daily onslaught of stress and change in our lives? Lately my work life is so intense that my weekends have become a refuge for recuperation. Yet, I wonder how can I balance my desire for participation in community with my need for rest, without risking isolation?

Meister Eckhart, once said, "There is a place in the soul that neither time, nor space, nor no created thing can touch." To this, John O’Donohue, responded, “Your identity is not equivalent to your biography. There is a place in you where you have never been wounded, where there's still a sureness in you, where there's a seamlessness in you, and where there is a confidence and tranquility in you. I think the intention of prayer and spirituality and love is now and again to visit that inner kind of sanctuary.”

 Caregivers are in danger of neglecting self-care. It requires diligence, paying attention and a fine-tuning of daily practices that can help us to renew and to heal. Take a moment right now to notice and feel what needs your attention; what is most in need of healing? Is it rest? Time with friends and family? A walk in nature? Expressing and receiving love? Relaxing or reenergizing activities?

 Are you open to receiving a blessing of Love’s healing touch within you?

~liz Sorensen Wessel


 

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9 responses to “Days 8 & 9 Healing Within”

  1. Barb Turnblom-Mason Avatar
    Barb Turnblom-Mason

    It is so timely for this posting in my life. I have been tired, too much work, to much holiday, too much business and not enough still life. So, a patient had a calendar from the Bolsa Chica Wetlands. I took lunch and my mom and we spent 3 hours there. It was not only plesant, amazing, beautiful, but healing. Seeing a small piece of nature without interference was just the right RX. as always an amazing writing

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  2. Maureen McDermott rsj Avatar
    Maureen McDermott rsj

    Liz, you are one of those angels of light! Thank you. May your personal angel draw into nourishment and contentment, refreshing your spirit and heart. Blessings!

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  3. Marily Avatar

    I need to focus my attention on the adequate amount of rest and sleep daily. I have neglected to enjoy the pleasure of taking adequate of those even during my holiday vacation and long stretch of days off. Fours hours of sleep a day I thought was good enough… maybe before it was fine, but as I add years, I do need more… at least 8 hours a day. I forgive myself and welcome the healing love within to renew and heal me this moment and everyday.

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  4. ann kaiser Avatar
    ann kaiser

    I pray for Love’s Healing Touch to reach all my friends. May your posting Liz, awaken us all to be open in receiving this gift. Thank you for the reminder, the nudge that most of us require. May today be a time that we allow for our inner sanctuary to be nourished.

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  5. candace nagle Avatar
    candace nagle

    What a timely post! I had one of those weeks in which the problems of those I encountered were very complex. I felt just as you said. I thought I needed a weekend with lots of space BUT my weekend is very full. AND the immediate future is not offering a respite either. So, what to do! But I realize that often, when I want to isolate to replenish, what I really need is to be open to receiving another experience. Instead of curling up with tea and a book, what I may really need is a walk with a friend, a domino game with my dad, and a dinner cooked for me by family. A feeling of belonging and being nurtured is good for the nurturer…even if my dad always wins!
    It feels like our society is getting more and more complex…resources more scarce. The needs of our patients often seem insurmountable. We caregivers really need to hold each other in prayer and reach out to one another in our daily challenges. We need to remember that in this world, we are God’s hands and his heart. We can minister to each other as well as our patients. You, Liz, are a wonderful example of this and I will be praying for you as I know you pray for us up here in the North…God Bless!

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  6. Maria Doglio Avatar
    Maria Doglio

    As a Reiki Master, I have learned to intuitively listen to the subtle voices of what my body is telling me before it becomes a serious manifestation of illness or accident. I think the art of listening to the wisdom of our bodies has been lost in our modern culture as we are pushed to take on more and more both in our home and work life. We have slipped away from creating a balance in our lives between rest, rejuvination and work and achievement. I used to take pride in how much I could multi-task, but now I believe extreme multi-tasking is detrimental to our health–eventually the quality of what we do starts to break down and we “burn out”. We need to feel that it is OK to just say NO when we are stretched too thin and give oneself time to just pull back and BE. This allows us to reassess and see how we can readjust the intensity of our life so that we do not always wind up in extreme exhaustion. Rest, rejuvinination equals health, clarity and peace of mind. When we have that, we bring quality into our work and our home/personal life becomes even more rich.
    Thank you Liz for this important reminder to nourish our mind, mind and spirit.

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  7. erie chapman Avatar
    erie chapman

    Liz
    Thank you again for your artwork as well as your success in saying so much about healing in such a short space!
    You have given each of us so much on which to reflect as we look to our own healing and self-care.
    -Erie

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  8. ann kaiser Avatar
    ann kaiser

    ” The light of Divine love longs to shine through every being..open your heart and welcome that presence to rise like the sun within you..””.Anon……….Today is the First Sunday after Epiphany…we are in the Season of Light. Let your little Light shine……

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  9. ~liz Wessel Avatar

    I feel so blessed as I read each of your comments and I am grateful to be a part of such a loving and nurturing community. Thanks to each of you, Barb, Sr. Maureen, Marily, Ann, Candace, Maria and Erie for illuminating my world with your healing Light.

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