What does self-care look like for you right now? I am going to be honest. If I were to grade myself on my self-care, I would not have any As on my report card. Especially when life gets busy, self-care is one of the first things to get squished out of my routine. Maybe it’s that overloaded lifestyle that has helped me realize the self-care actions that matter the most for me. There are so many things we could do, what are the most important things? 

I’ve been thinking about John 15 lately… that idea of the vine and the branches and being connected to the vine. Jesus said, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me… As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” (John 15:4, 9)

If we want to shine brightly to the world we are serving, we need to reflect the light of God. And in order to reflect His light, we need to allow ourselves to abide in His presence. This week has been a cloudy week. We haven’t had direct sunlight and blue skies for six days. Today, for a brief time, the sun shone through my bedroom window to the desk where I was working. I moved my chair over a few inches and just felt the warmth of the sunlight on my face. It was wonderful. Just as the warmth of the sunlight is good for our health, so is the light of God in our lives. We live in a dark world, and we need time to have the light of His presence penetrate our lives. Then we can shine that light to others so they can know and experience the hope of Jesus in their dark world.  

So here’s a little reminder to care for yourself today and go take some time to connect to your Father. He loves you and He wants to be with you today. Be refreshed and refilled in His presence.