Have you ever wondered why Jesus selected “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” as the two greatest commandments? In these two strong statements lie an understanding of the importance of relationships. These relationships connect God, self, and others. Never just God or just others or just self, but always God, self, and others.

I am convinced that God’s image in us creates a resonance that enables us to see people, feel with them, and embody compassion towards them. I believe this resonance exists at the heart of presence. There are no short cuts to being present. It requires surrender, awareness, and detachment. Presence can be a practice, and it can grow into a patterned life of seeing, feeling, and embodying compassion. As a regular pattern, it nourishes a deeply nuanced life loving God, self, and others.

Dianne Morgan

During this season, how could you allow yourself to see, feel, and be compassionate with you?

Suggested exercise. (You will need journal or paper and a pen.)

Settle yourself. Sit comfortably with shoulders back. Eyes closed. Begin to notice your breathing, inhale and exhale slowly. Feel your body relax as you breathe in an intentional rhythm, inhale and exhale. Feel the air filling your whole body with peace and surrender and exhale. Breathe deeply three or four more times. Give yourself a little time to slowly engage again.

When you are ready here is your writing prompt: What has come to the surface and what feelings surround it. Acknowledge and sit with those emotions. Give time to feel in this safe space. Accept the depth or those emotions. Acknowledge the reality of them. When you feel ready, invite compassion to be with you. Give space for compassion. Once you feel a sense of care, sit with it. Where does it take you? Begin to speak or write to your self about the compassionate care you have felt.