BreadCasters International:  Enlightening the Darkness
  • Home
  • My Mission and Book
  • Book Table of Contents
  • Feedback and Testimonials
  • Poetry
  • Suicide Prevention
  • Art Therapy
  • Dealing with Divorce
  • When Work Hurts
  • Preventing Anxiety Attacks
  • Dealing with Grief
  • Fun Ways to Boost Mental Health
  • Links
  • Blog

BreadCaster's Blog

The Importance of Recognizing One's Goodness

11/13/2016

 
Our visit to Canada to see our new granddaughter came to an end, and my wife and I returned to our home in Europe. Not long after, I became depressed once again. Thankfully, the episode did not last long (a matter of a few days), but it was very intense. I had little appetite, and had difficulty sleeping. I decided to spend nights in a separate upper floor bedroom so that I would not disturb my wife. As has been typical, my thoughts about myself were extremely critical. Finally, the pain became so difficult to bear that I wondered how much more I could endure. However, I desperately did not want to cause my wife any further hurt. I lay in bed and prayed fervently to Jesus to quell my angst, not for my sake, but for my wife's. Toward morning, I fell asleep, and dreamed that a cat told me that she was secretly pregnant, and that she was going to give me one of her kittens. When I awoke, I was relieved to find that I had slept a bit (without medication), and I was reassured by the dream (a kitten represents the playful innocence and goodness of the divine feminine). Later that morning, as I thought about the previous night, I felt very deeply the pain my wife would experience should I ever die prematurely - it was as if I were inside her mind. I realized that my desire not to hurt my wife was far stronger than my ego's residual self-loathing. This was a very important insight. It proved to me that I was capable of true, unselfish love. It meant that I was "good". Acknowledging my innate goodness was an emotional release, and I felt so much better about myself. That evening, I found myself thinking about my little sister, who had committed suicide in 1986. I thought I had long ago plumbed the depths of my grief, but I was wrong. I grieved deeply for my loss, and I also grieved deeply for how she must have suffered prior to taking her own life. Allowing oneself to grieve the loss of a loved one, especially when the circumstances are tragic, feels painful, but it is actually a healing act of self-love. That night I dreamed that I rescued a cat from falling off of a very high ledge. Afterward, the cat lay contentedly on its back in my hands, purring away - another reassuring dream.

    Author

    Robert Keith Rinne's work focuses on the healing of mental illness, particularly where such illness has been fostered by fundamentalist religion. He and his wife have raised four children. As a family, they were always open about Robert’s own struggles and their individual spiritual journeys. Robert is now semi-retired but continues to offer spiritual counseling.

    Archives

    May 2021
    April 2020
    September 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016

    Categories

    All
    Authority Figures
    Child Abuse
    Death
    Depression
    Divine Feminine
    Dream Symbolism
    Ego
    Fundamentalism
    Goodness
    Gratitude
    Grief
    Healing
    Holiness
    Innocence
    Islam
    Israel
    Jesus
    Kundalini
    Love
    Morality
    Panic Attacks
    Proof Of God
    Religious Persecution
    Salvation

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.