Friends, friendship and befriending

What a joy to visit my church yesterday, and while I respect the opportunity to be a part of the service, I am acutely aware of the friends who welcome me and of the miriad nurturing friendships that thrive in communities which are God-centered and lovingly intended toward service.

Several folks who met with me were having difficulty with abundance, with loving relationships, and with an absence of or only mininal trust in themselves. They, like me, were raised in traditional families who were not adept at teaching children to love and celebrate themselves. No, in fact, we were to be self-deprecating so that others would not think we were too self-centered.

Two and three generations later, we are still learning to trust ourselves to receive without self-consciousness. We are still learning how to befriend ourselves.

We offer friendship, we serve others, but to unflinchingly receive true love and the gifts of love is still a stretch. My sister, Judith, and our friends Barbara and Jenni initiated a meditation called the TAL Group - Totally Accepting Love. Barbara, always the teacher, went on ahead of us into Spirit last year. She knew in this life, better than most, how to generously give. And in this life, learned, then taught by example, how to thrive in receiving. She also demonstrated that when we receive openly we honor the giver in turn. Once again, breathing is the key to releasing resistance and receiving unconditionally.

As Jesus said, "Love yourself. I do." My personal commitment is to put my attention on his love, breathe it in, and to practice daily to receive what he unconditonally offers. Because he offers himself in this service, and because I know him in no other way, he is the perfect place to practice. With him I can learn to flow more naturally in the gifts of love that are mine by birthright. - and to become a better friend to myself.