Hi everyone! I know I haven't written a post since like July and honestly, I've just been so caught up in everything happening in my own life and what's been happening around me. It's been a very overwhelming year, and I'm sure I don't have to tell you that. I have written a bit during the last few months, but I felt as though everything I had written wasn't encouraging enough to post, it was honestly quite depressing. The world has had quite enough pain this year that I did not feel the need to tell others of the hardship or sadness I was facing, but there is a topic that has been heavy in my heart and mind.
There are some words that have been living in my mind in recent weeks and that is 'Self love'. This is something that I've struggled with for so long, it was better or would hit me harder at certain times, and I'm sure it's something a lot of people at some point in their life have had to deal with. But around the beginning of this year it was something that I had dealt with within my own heart. Fast forward to later this year a situation came about and I was left feeling so manipulated and used, used emotionally, and mentally, even physically. It left me feeling so low about myself, feeling worthless, and not enough, I was trying so hard to love and care for myself but what I was feeling felt so out of control.
I know in this season I have heard a lot of people talk about the importance of being in community and looking after/caring for the people around you for your friends, now don't get me wrong these are all things I value and do, and things that are very important to consider in this season, but I feel like there can come a time when we are loving and caring for others but we don't love and care for ourselves. When we don't have love for ourselves we are loving from a place of emptiness and eventually, we get tired and no longer have anything to give others, no place to recharge.
In this season it is just as important to look after yourself. And I don't mean just looking after yourself for your physical self but internally. Looking in the mirror at whatever body, whatever shape, skin color, and size you are and not seeing the enemy's lies that tell you that you are not beautiful enough, that you are not the ideal size, that you are not worthy of love because of the way you look, but seeing what God says about you. Jesus says that you are loved, that you are precious, that you are worthy of love no matter what society says, what those around you say, or even what the enemy says. Those lies that tell you that you aren't enough are empty words, they mean nothing until you give them the power to mean something in your life until you believe them. I know this sounds a little cliche but I just wanted to let somebody who may be feeling like this, whoever you are, whatever your past is, whatever gender or skin color or size know that I see you, I know your pain and if this post can help you even begin to change the way you think about yourself then that's all that matters. Loving and caring for yourself matters your mental health matters, your emotional health matters, your voice matters, how you feel matters, you matter.
So do something you love, dig deep into God's word, and find out for yourself what he says about you, have a self-care night, write out your feelings. Gaining self-love doesn't happen overnight for anyone, it's the little things, the little steps that allow you to love yourself a little more every day.
Love,
Sarai
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