Nouwen

Here is today's henrinouwen.org email:

What We Feel Is Not Who We Are

Our emotional lives move up and down constantly. Sometimes we experience great mood: swings from excitement to depression, from joy to sorrow, from inner harmony to inner chaos. A little event, a word from someone, a disappointment in work, many things can trigger such mood swings. Mostly we have little control over these changes. It seems that they happen to us rather than being created by us.

Thus it is important to know that our emotional life is not the same as our spiritual life. Our spiritual life is the life of the Spirit of God within us. As we feel our emotions shift we must connect our spirits with the Spirit of God and remind ourselves that what we feel is not who we are. We are and remain, whatever our moods, God's beloved children.
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That struck a chord with me this morning. Often the way I feel is how I interpret who I am. Loneliness, confusion, and purposelessness have been how I've been feeling and that in turn has translated to my view of myself and the world around me. But Henri reminds me that, in fact, those are lies. I am one of God's beloved children! Loneliness is a chance for solitude, confusion is a chance for guidance, and purposelessness is a chance for meaning. All a chance to be reconciled to God.