A poem by Late Night Epiphanies caught my attention one afternoon while I was scrolling through social media. It was a beautiful reflection of appreciation for all that the sister-authors had penned.
Not only did it foster appreciation for all my body has endured and enabled me to enjoy, but it sparked my own creativity.
In your journal or on a notecard, take a few minutes to prayerfully complete the prompts (my own examples are in italics).
Look at your feet: they’ve walked you into new adventures
Look at your feet:
Look at your legs: they’ve stood in grocery store checkout and danced at weddings
Look at your legs:
Look at your arms: they’ve held loved ones close and moved furniture to new homes
Look at your arms:
Look at your hands: they’ve washed dishes and built with lego pieces
Look at your hands:
Look at your eyes: they’ve taken in sunsets and translated stories
Look at your eyes:
Bless this body– my way through the world
In the places of pain, may I respond with tenderness
In the places of disgust, may I look with love
As my body speaks, may I listen attentively
As my body changes, may I speak with kindness
May my daily refrain and praise of her be:
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
The following books inspired our thinking and reflecting for this series.
- The Lord is my Courage (KJ Ramsey)
- The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop and the False Promise of Self-Care (Rina Raphael)
- No Weigh! A Teen’s Guide to Positive Body Image, Food and Emotional Wisdom (Signe Darphinian, Wendy Sterling, Shelley Aggarwal)
- The Wisdom of your Body (Hillary McBride)
- Widen the Window (Elizabeth Stanley)
- Already Enough (Lisa Olivera)
- Honoring the Body: Meditations on a Christian Practice (Stephanie Pausell)
We hope this brings you some comfort and joy! Do you know someone who would be inspired by today’s post? Please share Some Comfort and Joy with them! Be sure to subscribe and never miss a post.
Some Comfort and Joy was developed as a devotional resource that follows the rhythms and seasons of the liturgical year from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective.
some comfort and joy 