Relationships as our paths to spiritual growth

January 2^nd

We learn deep and complete self-love in our relationships with others.

Wisdom of Mary Magdalene

“Relationships are the place that our greatest life lessons occur. Our generosity is seen easily in our relationships, as is our selfishness. Our purity of heart is mirrored in our care and connection of another as is our deception and manipulation. All that is good and decent about us shows up in our relationships and all that is evil and frightening about us shows up as well. We learn to love ourselves in relationships with another. We learn to love another when we learn to love ourselves.

Loving our beauty, our goodness, our generosity and light come easily. Loving our ugliness, our deceptive self, our selfishness and darkness, now this takes courage and commitment.

We all hold parts of ourselves we wish to hide inside. The gift of relationships is seeing all of who we are and loving those parts we want to keep hidden. Pouring mercy and kindness on our selfishness and self-righteousness takes the deepest form of love. Standing as an ally to our beauty and our own ugliness; this is bravery at its finest.

Relationships teach us to love all of who we are and to gently shine this light for others to love all of who they are as well.”