Honoring Our Whole Self

Dericka Canada Cunningham
Nov 30, 2025
4 min read

Dericka Canada Cunningham, GBW Founder

December 1, 2025

This Week's Anchor

“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NIV)

Welcome, Grounded Black Women, to our final devotion of 2025! For the month of December, we will rest and thoughtfully connect with the Holy Trinity as we reflect on the current year and prayerfully set our intentions for the new year. Tune in next week to receive guided scriptures and reflections to carry you through the end of this year.

As we approach these final weeks, what better time than now to consider how we care for ourselves? Despite living, breathing, thinking, feeling, and experiencing within this mind-body-soul of ours every second of every day of every week of every year, many of us find ourselves tugged by everything and everyone else but the needs of our own selves. A sobering article calls us into care by highlighting whom we spend the most time with throughout our lifetimes (i.e., coworkers, friends, family, partners, children, etc.). As illustrated in the article and the graph below, this interesting research reveals that, as we age, we spend an overwhelming and increasing amount of our time…alone. I imagine this is why seasoned folks have such great wisdom to share in their later years—they spend a lot of time in solitude, reflecting on life and making meaning of everything they experienced and endured. I also imagine this increased time alone contributes to the sense of loneliness and depression that many experience as they age. Regardless of age or the impact, the reality of aloneness in our lives begs us to nurture our relationship with ourselves.

A fellow Black woman mental health professional, Dr. Thema Bryant-Davis (psychologist, ordained minister, and the former president of the American Psychological Association), puts the idea of returning to and caring for ourselves in such beautiful words in her book, Homecoming. I recommend this psychologist as someone to follow on social media, and I encourage you to purchase her book. In her book, she illuminates our anchor scripture as she defines and conceptualizes homecoming as “a return to authentic living that is based on truth, self-acceptance, and an aligning action with values and purpose.” She describes coming home to ourselves as moving away from the distractions of everyday life and from being disconnected from our mind-body-souls and instead moving toward grounded self-freedom. She challenges each of us to be honest with ourselves regarding where we are and what we need by making a commitment to prioritize our care and healing. As I enter the closing quarter of this year, I find myself, in the spirit of Dr. Bryant-Davis, returning home.

The end of the year is humbling for me. It’s a sacred time of connection, celebration, reflection, and preparation — a meaningful time to survey the aspects of my wellness and healing that I need to return to and strengthen as I consider an approaching new year. One way we can pause, inspect, and tend to ourselves and our needs is by first understanding the layers that make us collectively well and whole. With this clarity, we can intentionally address the areas needing priority, attention, and care. In the field of psychology/mental health, we use a model called the Dimensions of Wellness to help with this. Although there are varied thoughts and opinions regarding the concept and terminology of wellness, this framework can help us consider the different aspects that help us sustain and evolve. The illustration below outlines various areas that contribute to our overall wellness (i.e., specific areas of wellness). I like to add cultural wellness as a dimension because I believe feeling grounded and connected culturally is an essential aspect of our lives as well. Likewise, I invite each of you to adapt and add dimensions that are relevant to you, and to name and define what wholeness, wellness, self-care, self-love, healing, or whatever word/concept feels empowering means to you.

A Few Things to Consider as We Explore & Prioritize Our Dimensions of Wellness/Wholeness

What dimension(s) do I prioritize the most? And why?
What dimensions(s) do I most often neglect? And why?
What area(s)/dimension(s) do I feel needs tending to right now?
What area(s)/dimensions(s) do I want to prioritize in the final quarter of the year?

As we enter the final weeks of this year, may we honor our complex, layered, and whole selves. May we prioritize our needs, joys, and desires—trusting that by tending to ourselves we are rejuvenating, inspiring, and adding to the world around us. And may we simply return home to this beautiful place we call mind, body, and soul.

Reflection

What is resonating for you about this scripture and/or this devotion?
What do you need from the Holy Trinity to help you tend to your whole self?
What intention(s) do you want to set to connect and/or reconnect with being grounded this week?

Related Scriptures to Ground You Through this Week