The Scent of Self-Care
One of the most difficult things to incorporate in one's life is the capacity for self-care. We're pulled in so many directions, it's hard to slow down & take time for ourselves. Yet Jesus Himself gave us the perfect example of self-care as He prepared for the Passover & all that was to come to pass during that week. In John 12:1-8, Jesus is at the home of his dear friends Lazarus, Martha, & Mary, enjoying a time of peace & fellowship. Mary takes an expensive bottle of nard - perfume - & pours it on Jesus' feet, wiping it with her hair. Rather than get upset with her, as some in Jesus' entourage did, the Lord blesses her, appreciating the gesture of love & care. It was actually part of the burial ritual, though Jesus enjoyed it in this life & allowed others to do so as the "house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume." (v.3) So take a little time for yourself & smell the perfume in your life. May it give you a new sense of peace & fulfillment.