One of my Lenten resolutions this year has been to focus on building a community around Jake and I. I've been hoping to really focus on the loved ones around us and building further relationships with neighbors, fellow church parishioners, coworkers, etc. As part of this Lenten resolution, I've started a book club we have named The Dallas Literary Socialites. Last week was our first meeting. We dived straight into Anne Morrow Lindbergh's "A Gift from the Sea" discussing her reflections on life, womanhood, and love. What a rich evening it was as my apartment filled with conversation about women and our place in the mid twentieth century compared with today. Each of our backgrounds, philosophies, and places in life brought such depth to the evening, leaving my palate so satisfied!
One of the biggest reflections we as a group appreciated of Anne's was her statement that women are commonly torn to pieces - broken. We find ourselves so often wanting to give and give of our entire self to those around us. Daily we find new ways to serve our husband, our children, our parents, etc. And we feel gratified, fulfilled, purposeful thru this act of service - unconditional love. But at the expense of oneself?
I know I have hit rock bottom, feeling absolutely worthless from exhaustion, over extension, and an array of wild emotion. And this is simply because I was lacking the balance needed to love others while loving and filling my own tank. As women, let us always remember to keep that tank full of His love for us, knowing that we can do all things in Him. You have a very special role on this earth, ladies, so be sure to cultivate your gifts, not deplete them. Take yourself back to the ocean, and old conch shell, the smell of the saltwater, to reflect on how changing the waves and tides may be, but you are rooted in the depths of the sea of life.
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