OVERIDENTIFICATION

A lovely sunny day.  So good having Carol attend church with me.  Dad was still not able to leave the security of home and bathroom.  Thankful to drive to Sandra and Randy's for a delicious supper.

Overidentification is believing that you are totally in the right and the other or others are totally wrong.    The challenge is to find a peaceful way of discussing and respecting the opinions of others. Expressing what you believe is important but also being aware that your words are causing pain and wounding the soul of another is very important.  We all have overidentification problems!

 

Even with loving family members there will always be healthy differences.  I am being reminded that I talk to loud on the phone and I do not take criticism well.  So true.  I will try to over come this.

 

There is a healthy balance if while we remain true to ourselves we can be open to others.

 

In traditional Judaism, the book of Leviticus says:  do not curse a deaf person. which later rabbis explained to mean that the gift of speech is for blessing and uplifting our lives, not for degrading ourselves or other people.  Even if a deaf person can't hear the hurtful words, the basic misuse of our own gifts is wrong.  Employing our minds and our intelligence not to prove what is right but to heal is a way we can encourage one another.

Our church is built on a foundation and a belief in prayer that flows from thankful hearts that flow from the heart.  The Jewish prayer Sh'ma Yisroel Eloheynu Adonai Ekhad is a prayer from the heart that is saying:  Listen, wake up you who seek to understand and connect with God, Adonai, the Eternal One who has been present since the beginning of time and who expresses Love and Wisdom by entering our hearts and to create energy and unity with all things.

My prayer is that I can develop a deeper connection to this loving energy day by day, prayer by prayer.  For me scripture has a depth of meaning that actually transcends words.