Hello, hello! It’s been a few weeks….how are you doing? Spring has definitely sprung in our neck of the woods. I hope you are enjoying this beautiful season wherever you might be.
I mentioned in my first post (way back at the end of December) that I was going through a real season of Winter both figuratively and literally. It was a true season of rest, reflection and building foundations for me. Now that Spring is here, I’m really feeling this season of growth and stretching in all areas of my life. I’m not complaining at all. It is just a season of transition, applying lessons I’ve learned in the past year, and working towards both remaining and becoming my true self in so many ways. I’ll be sharing more about my own journey in the coming weeks and months, but the truth of it is, I just kind of have to live in it all right now. There are a lot changes happening in all areas, and on all levels, of my life, and I don’t have the right words to even begin to talk about it yet. God is good, though, and I’m extremely grateful for this time in my life.
In the last post, we wrapped up the study of Proverbs 17:22, “A cheerful heart does good like medicine; but a broken spirit makes one sick.” I don’t know about you, but understanding the deeper meaning of all these words, and truly seeing how soul, body, and mind are all connected has really given me a lot to think about, pray about, and work on, in my own life. As I continue on my own journey, I’ll share with you the practical steps I’m taking to try to live out Proverbs 17:22 for myself. If you haven’t gotten caught up on the emails, you can go here. Start with the post from December 31st, and work your way forward. As I reflected on that verse and what it meant to me personally, I came up with a simple image to represent my overall takeaways from Proverbs 17:22.
In the context of Proverbs 17:22, I picture this overall square as the foundation of my health and wellness. Soul, Body, Mind, and Consistency are the cornerstones of my foundation. If one of my cornerstones gets out of plumb or out of level, then my foundation ends up sagging or breaking – each cornerstone helps to hold up the other. In the middle of my foundation I have Love and Gratitude. We learned that having a “merry heart” means living in thankfulness. We also learned that we have to act in love towards ourselves and others as part of true wellness. Love and Gratitude have to be infused into everything we do. As I work on Soul, Body and Mind Consistently I add on more stones or bricks to my structure, and Love and Gratitude are the mortar, or glue, that hold it all together. When Love and Gratitude are the mortar for my structure, and it is infused into everything I do, it allows me to fully dwell in gratitude. It comes from my core, and surrounds me in my very being.
As I was creating this simple image, my mind kept picturing that middle circle as the Zia symbol. Are you familiar with this symbol? I’ve shared it below so you can see it. Growing up in New Mexico for much of my childhood, this symbol was everywhere – on the state flag, on buildings, clothing, everywhere. Since I couldn’t get that symbol out of my head, I went and looked up the meaning behind it. The native Zia tribe in New Mexico used this symbol, and it was taken from them and used in all kinds of ways. I didn’t want to misuse the symbol, so I’m not going to change my image above, but I did want to share about the symbolism of the Zia.
The Zia with its four rays in each direction represents the four cardinal directions (North, South, East, West), the four seasons (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall), the four times of day (morning, noon, evening, night), and the four life stages (childhood, youth, middle age, old age). It symbolizes the number four and universal harmony. It also represents the four sacred obligations: a strong body, clear mind, pure spirit and devotion to others. When I saw that, I was shocked. In the culture of the Zia, our obligations as humans are mind, body, soul and devotion, which just happen to correspond to the four cornerstones I put in that image above. Devotion and consistency might not be exact synonyms, but you have to have devotion in order to have consistency. We know that everything is connected. We know we have to help ourselves in order to help others and we have to love others the way we want to be loved. It always amazes me when I come across these connections that so many different tribes, peoples and cultures have made – these concepts and truths that seem universal.
In her book Living Medicine, Dr. Gladys McGarey says (emphasis is Dr. McGarey’s), “There is healing energy in pain. Physical pain gives a signal, informing us of where we might have a problem that needs addressing. It is felt at the physical level unless it is interrupted by nerve damage, or we are anesthetized, asleep or under the influence of hypnosis or drugs. While physical pain itself does not always suggest a problem, it still needs to be felt and acknowledged.
Mental and emotional pain also needs to be felt and acknowledged. If we do not allow ourselves to experience these pains, we may not be sensitive to or aware of what is happening in our lives. We may move into senility, Alzheimer’s disease or some form of psychosis. With spiritual pain – if we try to avoid it – we shut ourselves off from other people, the world and God. We actually die within ourselves. If we really allow ourselves to feel pain on all levels, without getting stuck in it, but rather just recognize it and try to understand the reason for its presence and its message, we are then able to alleviate it or make peace with it, so that we can truly live a full and abundant life…. No matter what modality is used in the healing process, as we are healed, so is the world around us.”
It’s interesting to me how Dr. McGarey’s words echo Proverbs 17:22, and the beliefs of the Zia people. Everything is connected, and our physical, mental, and spiritual pains have to be acknowledged, dealt with, and either integrated into ourselves or released. When we don’t do the work of feeling and integrating, there are always consequences in our minds, bodies and souls. Healing starts from within, but always ends up healing without (the world around us). Personally, I need to accept what IS about my body and stop fighting it – work with my body to give it what it needs consistently, especially when I’m not feeling my best. The truth is, I want to be the very best version of myself – for myself, but also for my husband, my family and our community. My heart is to help and serve others, but I can only serve others when I first learn how to better serve and honor myself.
So what does that all mean and where do we start? In the next series of emails, we’ll be working through practical ways to apply Proverbs 17:22 in our lives, and to find the healing and true well-being we’re looking for. In the meantime, I encourage you to pray about these concepts and to start making a list of the areas of your life that might need work, or new habits you might need to start working towards. Does the cornerstone image above resonate with you? What do you think about the symbolism of the Zia and our obligations of mind, body, soul and devotion? How might these concepts apply to your life? Did Dr. McGarey’s words spark anything in you?
I’d love to hear your thoughts and hear what you’re working on, so please send me an email or leave a comment on this post, and let me know how you feel about this study, or any other thoughts or questions you might have. I’ll see you back here soon!
With gratitude, sending love and blessings,
Kelly
P.S. I shared this video awhile back, but wanted to share again. Dr. Gladys McGarey has some deep, powerful insights into love and healing. She passed a few years ago, and I never got to meet her, but Dr. Gladys has become a true mentor to me. Take a few minutes to listen to Dr. Gladys’ wisdom. You won’t regret it.
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