Last week, K. challenged each of us to stand in front of the mirror, unclothed, to examine ourselves and see what came back.
We are doing JP II's TOB and this exercise was for us to understand what original nakedness meant for each of us; to be naked without shame before God.
Given the beauty industry's ever-changing but definite ideas of beauty, it is never easy to accept my body for it is far from the "ideal".
When I look at myself in the mirror, I immediately see the imperfections, and more recently, my scar, an obvious 15.5 cm line that sits above my pubic symphysis.
This fills me with a sense of faint regret, for not dealing with the fibroid earlier, for my body now bears the scars, external and internal and I am still dealing with the consequences of my dilatory decision.
But that aside, I am more comfortable with my naked body than I ever have been. Sure, I still don't like that my tummy bulges out so alarmingly and my thighs are more generous that I would like them, but my body reveals the beauty of my spirit, the essence of my being to the exterior world.
JPII says the body reveals a personal and spiritual mystery and it is through my body that I can express and make incarnate God's love to everyone I meet.
Without my hands, I could not cook, teach, write, bring relief, comfort, soothe... without my lips, I could not elicit a responsive smile, affirm, dialogue, counsel, encourage, kiss... without my feet, I could not go forth, dance, welcome, journey with, meet, guide... I would not be able to share with you my interior world, my life, without my body.
Nakedness, physical or otherwise, is not comfortable for it calls for vulnerability, openness and humility. However, it is the only way to meet Jesus, for only in my willingness to appear before Him naked do I see the truth of who I am and how much He loves me.
And faced with the naked truth, shame dissipates like early morning mist in the ambient sunlight. There is nothing more healing than the Father's gentle and forgiving "interior gaze".
Don't just take my word for it, get naked and see for yourself.
BLESSING
In the garden, he and I are face to face.
Deliberately I shed my thorny brokenness
and icy grey fears,
Stripped of pretense and shame,
Naked, I kneel at his feet,
Vulnerable and waiting.
He places his hands on my head,
A tender weight on my crown.
"I will make your name great.
A blessing you will be."
Awed and trembling I bow my head
As he wills, let it be done to me.
We are doing JP II's TOB and this exercise was for us to understand what original nakedness meant for each of us; to be naked without shame before God.
Given the beauty industry's ever-changing but definite ideas of beauty, it is never easy to accept my body for it is far from the "ideal".
When I look at myself in the mirror, I immediately see the imperfections, and more recently, my scar, an obvious 15.5 cm line that sits above my pubic symphysis.
This fills me with a sense of faint regret, for not dealing with the fibroid earlier, for my body now bears the scars, external and internal and I am still dealing with the consequences of my dilatory decision.
But that aside, I am more comfortable with my naked body than I ever have been. Sure, I still don't like that my tummy bulges out so alarmingly and my thighs are more generous that I would like them, but my body reveals the beauty of my spirit, the essence of my being to the exterior world.
JPII says the body reveals a personal and spiritual mystery and it is through my body that I can express and make incarnate God's love to everyone I meet.
Without my hands, I could not cook, teach, write, bring relief, comfort, soothe... without my lips, I could not elicit a responsive smile, affirm, dialogue, counsel, encourage, kiss... without my feet, I could not go forth, dance, welcome, journey with, meet, guide... I would not be able to share with you my interior world, my life, without my body.
Nakedness, physical or otherwise, is not comfortable for it calls for vulnerability, openness and humility. However, it is the only way to meet Jesus, for only in my willingness to appear before Him naked do I see the truth of who I am and how much He loves me.
And faced with the naked truth, shame dissipates like early morning mist in the ambient sunlight. There is nothing more healing than the Father's gentle and forgiving "interior gaze".
Don't just take my word for it, get naked and see for yourself.
BLESSING
In the garden, he and I are face to face.
Deliberately I shed my thorny brokenness
and icy grey fears,
Stripped of pretense and shame,
Naked, I kneel at his feet,
Vulnerable and waiting.
He places his hands on my head,
A tender weight on my crown.
"I will make your name great.
A blessing you will be."
Awed and trembling I bow my head
As he wills, let it be done to me.
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