:: Tuesday's Tea With Me ::

Is there a place you go to in order to take refuge -- a safe space to sort yourself out?

Everyone needs to know how to take refuge. No matter how much you love your life, no matter how strong or motivated you may be, you will be overwhelmed at times. Maybe you'll be trying to pick yourself up after a hard knock, or losing your house or your job, or you may simply have a hard week. At these junctions in life if you don't have a habit of taking refuge, life can begin to feel like an endless treadmill.

But there is more to life than everything going smoothly all the time. And boy have I ever learned this in life. That's not what it's about. It's not about being comfortable. It's about being in relationship with the being who created it all. And if you've been in any sort of relationship, you know.... it's not always a bed of roses.

The word "refuge" means "place of shelter." But I don't mean the basic physical shelter that every human being needs. I'm referring to the kind of shelter that shelters your spirit. A shelter in which you can tuck yourself away safely for a time and get in touch with your deepest heart's cry. This is especially important when you feel lost or overwhelmed, tossed about by external pressures or inner turmoil.

Alright so what defines a refuge? First, it should help your mind calm down. Second, it should help you feel safe and protected. On a normal day, it helps you stay connected to your center, to keep your peace-level at a 10, or to feel that other human beings share your concerns. On a bad day, your place of refuge can restore your soul. It can also function as a kind of cocoon, where you retreat to do the sort of self-examination that leads to inner change. There you can shed your masks, process your failures, and savor your joys.