Today I did something I try to do at least once a week – take myself out for lunch, dinner, or in this case, a snack. I know people who are horrified at the thought of eating in a restaurant alone, going to the movies alone, really, anything alone. But I crave and relish this time. My daughter usually feels sad for people she sees eating alone, but not me. My first thought is, “way to go!”
This is my time to be still. It’s a time to read and focus on the wisdom that comes from the pages. It’s a time to just “take me time” and take in the world around me with the distractions I choose to let in. It’s a time to journal or write. It’s my time and my time alone.
For a long time I couldn’t grasp the difference between self-care and selfishness, but thanks to some wonderful, wise people, I have finally come to understand it and
understand the magnificent importance of it.
Jesus understood self-care. He went off by Himself to pray, to just be still. With so many demands on our lives and our times, if we truly want to be the best we can be to serve others, we must follow His example.
I know for a fact that I can’t be who I need to be, who God needs me to be for others, without self-care. And this my friends, this eating alone, finishing a great book and writing this piece, is my self-care. Try it. Enjoy it. Relish in it. Be still. Eat Queso. But Just be.
Raelyn Pracht 