Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Women, Wisdom, and the Word

Home
Progressive Christian
Welcome back

Welcome back

Last updated on: May 22, 2013 at 6:03 pm by Janet Davis

Welcome back 2013-05-22T18:03:13-04:00 Janet Davis

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

“When God invites me to give voice to something like the importance of self-compassion and self-care,

it seems that an integral part of that giving voice is to live what I speak.“

Ahhhh… the relief of no more guilt from neglecting my blog.

Okay, maybe I need to start that again on a more compassionate note.

Ahhhh… the gift of experiencing enough pain relief, creative energy, and schedule discipline to finally be able to have the head and body space to write again.

This has been an odd season for me…

but in some ways, not entirely unexpected….

When God invites me to give voice to something like the importance of self-compassion and self-care, it seems that an integral part of that giving voice is to live what I speak. So, in these days of dealing with my pain, obedience has looked like choosing NOT to force myself to push through, but caring for myself and accepting, with some grief and patience, my limitations.

Though I haven’t been writing, I have been:

Further exploring my new diagnosis of visceral hypersensitivity

Playing with Georgia

Finding yet another physical therapist with yet another approach because the nerves are being stimulated by alignment issues (postural restoration)

Learning a new low histamine diet because they are also stimulated by foods.

I call this the downside of being so fearful and wonderfully made. It’s all so very complex. Which, interestingly, is a part of where God shows up in this story.

I have a deep belief that one of the gifts women offer our communities is to live in a woven way, more holistically.

God is in my body and my calling.

God is in my pain and my words.

God is in my limitations and my opportunities.

I think of the woman with the hemorrhage

26**She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.

I’ve often asked God if this is really how God wanted to spend my energy and our money. Like the woman with the hemorrhage, apparently so.

How does one sustain hope in times like this? How did she find the strength to fight the crowd and reach out to Jesus? How did I find the strength to try a new diet and tell my long and twisted tale to another physical therapist?

There is an odd little verse I often think of in moments like this… it references the people of God as prisoners of hope.

Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope;
even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.

(Though I know better than to pull a random phrase out of context in Scripture, let’s just say the Holy Spirit gave me special permission because She repeatedly brought it to mind.)

As a prisoner of hope I keep moving toward healing on this long and twisted path. I don’t give up on this blogging endeavor because there has been a long interruption. I welcome back my own energy and creativity.

I also welcome your voice back into this small community. I’ve missed you as a community. I would love to hear where you find yourself to be a prisoner of hope. In your marriage? With a child? A friendship? A community? Your body? A dream? A calling?

Welcome back!

woman with the hemorrhage

grace

pain

woman with hemorrhage

Previous Post

March 29, 2013

Not the Lent I intended

Next Post

May 29, 2013 Re-imagining the Trinity

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advent ash Wednesday Bible stories body change church complementarian darkness egualitarian empowerment Epiphany faith feminine fool forgive gender generosity God grace guilt Hannah healing Herodias interruptions Jesus jugdgment lent limitations listening Lot's wife love Mary mystery Naomi new year Nouwen pain ponder power prayer prodigal son Ruth self-compassion self-sabotage shame spirituality St. Hildegard stories suffering Tamar transformation Trinity Uncategorized unisex voice wisdom woman at the well woman with the hemorrhage women

Select a Month August 2013 June 2013 May 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz