Thursday, April 23, 2015

The Inner Voices of Joan

When she was merely a teenager, Jeanne d'Arc, now more commonly known as Joan of Arc, left her village, petitioned a king, charged into battle, and led an army into infamous victories and not as popularized defeats. Before she was twenty years old, she would face a religious tribunal and be burned at the stake for heresy. Posthumously, she would be retried, found innocent, be martyred and eventually Sainted.




She was moved into action under the counsel of those she believed to be the Archangel Michael, Saint Margaret and Saint Catherine. A lot of her early decisions were affected by these blessed visions which spoke to her conscience. Basically a child facing massive upheaval and crisis, as well as literal war, Saint Joan was guided by her belief in what godly voices told her needed to be done.

Since people living in crisis often face situations beyond their control, survivors can feel like we are under attack, caught in a revolution within ourselves. Bodies and emotions betray us. Illnesses and anxieties battle inside us. We war everyday on a complex and devastating battlefield. We risk becoming martyrs in our own lives.

What we want and what we need to survive can often be overwhelmed or overlooked by other warring factions. Doctors and diseases dictating our choices. Family and friends affecting our decisions. Stress, anxiety and fatigue shaping our actions.

We do not need to martyr ourselves on our traumatic battlefield, but there is nothing wrong with a little revolution and listening to your own inner voice.'

Make time to listen to what your heart is telling you. Speak up for what you want. Reach out for what you need. Shape a course of action that is guided by you. If other factions are pushing you, breathe deep and push back.

You have the right to your choices. You have the right to speak up. You have the right to seek knowledge. Be self-aware. Listen to your conscience. Let your soul guide you.

You may be in a crisis beyond your control, which forces you into situations and onto battlefields you would rather have avoided. But, you have the power to make choices about how and when you go to war. You can choose your own weapons to survive. You need to listen to your inner voice. Take comfort in and allow guidance from what your heart has to say.

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