Hey everyone, I'm Dr. Allison.

Today's scripture offers us a wiser way of being human as we step into the day.

We're beginning our second full month of this daily practice, and if you've been listening along,

you may have noticed that Mondays always begin with a psalm.

There's a reason for that. The Psalms teach

us how to start from the inner life, from the soul, the body, the truth of our experience

before we move into discernment, action, or direction for the week ahead. They give the nervous

system and the soul a place to land.

Today's reading is Psalm 116, 5 through 7.

The Lord is gracious and righteous.

Our God is full of compassion.

The Lord protects the unwary.

When I was brought low, he saved me.

Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.

This passage is brief, but it carries remarkable depth.

It begins not with instruction, but with character.

The Lord is gracious and righteous, full of compassion.

Before the psalmist tells his soul to do anything,

he names who God is. And that ordering is so important because rest doesn't come from technique.

It comes from trust, from deep down nervous system safety. And that kind of trust grows out of relationship.

From a psychological perspective, the nervous system is constantly scanning for cues of safety or threat.

It asks, often beneath conscious awareness, am I protected? Am I seen? Am I alone with this?

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