Today has been a hot day here in Southern Australia, not suitable for a local walk. We headed to the beach this afternoon where the temperature was markedly lower. In typical style, Dreamy went straight for the water to cool and then toward a group of people he did not know. He stood beside them waiting for some love. Because, Dreamy thinks everyone loves him!
While I was walking the beach I began thinking about feeling overwhelmed. Lately, I have let the demands of others pull on my heart. This can be overpowering. Many of us feel the same over the Christmas season, drowning in the expectations of those we love and others wanting our time. It can be disheartening, particularly if you like to please others like I do. We put our all into the season only for it to be unappreciated.
At this time of year, there is a lot going on in the world. People experience more pain during the Christmas season. Most of us can usually handle this in ourselves, but Christmas has a way of magnifying our pain until it is too big for us alone. We can become engulfed in it all and lose focus on what matters most to us.
If this resonates with you, please be reminded that life is not in the weak, washed-up waves of others’ expectations. It is found in the deeper ocean where the waves are formed. The ocean represents our heart, and the waves represent the hope carried within it. There is great energy where these waves are formed, as those who swim in the ocean know. This is where our strength lies, not in the dying waves which have reached the beach.
If you have lost focus this Christmas, remember, your strength lies within you. Let the hope within bring you through this time, choosing to listen to it rather than the demands of others. Perhaps you have not experienced this inner strength yet, but I encourage you, it is there. It has taken me many years to find it.
In love, Jenny
