I am resending this because not everyone received it last week, for some reason. I added a prayer at the end and reading suggestions.
When you are a childhood trauma survivor, you generally do not think highly of yourself. That has been my experience. Although the shame is on my uncle for sexually abusing me, I internalized the shame. It brewed inside of me and caused me to loathe myself. I would wake up every morning thinking about everything I ever did wrong. I would mentally beat myself up.
Last summer, I realized that the negative thoughts about myself come from a feeling of not being enough. I came to this realization after doing a tapping meditation on The Tapping Solution app titled, You Are Enough. I spent eight days tapping on that issue. While my feelings of not being enough still existed, they were not quite as intense. Self-love and self-compassion began.
The simple truth is that we are enough. Through tapping, I can grasp that truth and the truths of the Bible about God’s great love for humanity. In Genesis 1:27, we are told that “God created humans in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Each one of us is created in God’s image. We are loved by God. In the words of a Fresno area pastor, God is not mad at you or me. As John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” John 3:16
When we really grasp that God loves us, we see that we are worth loving. The following passage from Richard Rohr’s book, Immortal Diamond, is one to ponder, letting its truths sink deep:
“God’s life and love flow through you as soon as you are ready to allow it. That is the core meaning of faith–to dare to trust that God could, will, and does have an eternal compassion toward you. Everyone who asked Jesus to heal them or help them had somehow made that simple act of trust that he cared–and so the flow happened and they were healed. No other preconditions were ever required.”
Deeper healing from childhood trauma happens when we operate from a place of self-love and self-compassion. We can begin having patience for ourselves and not get upset that our recovery does not happen as quickly as we want. We also have more love, compassion, and patience for others. Jesus told us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. To love others the way they deserve to be loved requires self-love.
Do you beat yourself up? Are you harder on yourself than you would ever be on others? Take a step today towards self-love and self-compassion. Begin by simply saying, “I am enough” while tapping on each acupressure point as shown below. Tap seven or eight times on each acupressure point before moving on. After you tap on each point, take a deep breath. Try doing this every morning and see if you do not start feeling better about yourself.
If you struggle with feelings of inadequacy, pray this simple prayer:
Lord, I acknowledge that I am created in Your image. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I ask You to help me see myself as You see me. I ask for Your help to love myself.
Reading suggestions
These are books that helped me embrace the fact that I am enough:
Immortal Diamond by Richard Rohr
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
Intimacy With God: An Introduction to Centering Prayer by Thomas Keating
The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat Up, and Burnt Out by Brennan Manning