HOW ARE YOU CARING FOR YOUR SOUL?

Caring for our souls looks and feels different than it did at the end of February. A lot has happened since March 2 and our souls are tired. Our souls will be replenished but they must be tended to. Consider the ashes that you are wearing today and be curious about the ashes others are wearing.

Pay Attention to Your Feelings

Paying attention to how you are feeling is a critical way to how you can care for your soul. So, how are you feeling? Anxious? Hopeful? Helpless? Grateful? All of the above?

Notice the Beauty in the Ashes

Caring for your soul also means noticing the beauty that is being exchanged for these ashes. Where do you see beauty instead of ashes? Isaiah 61 tells us that He will come to bind up the brokenhearted, to bestow a crown of beauty for ashes.

STAY ENGAGED

Have Conversation

Now is a good time to reach out to friends and family for conversation. Take time to listen to their stories and ask:

• How are you?
• What is this like for you?
• How are you coping? 

We are created for community.

Make a list of people in your life that you've been meaning to check in with but haven't gotten around to it yet. Now is a good time. As you are having these conversations, notice where you see or hear not only the struggles but life alongside the struggles.

Do Something Old-Fashioned…Write a Letter

Another way to stay engaged is in the lost art of letter writing. Pull out some paper and a pen and write to a friend or family member. Embrace the experience. Each component – from choosing the ink pen color, the type of paper, to how you close the note – serves as an act of engagement.