I've noticed that I don't really know what to do on weekends when I stay in Kansas City. None of my close friends live in town, so it's tough to know what to do with myself. Dumb.
I do read, but I don't want to read all day. Although, I'm close to finishing Tuesdays With Morrie. Good book, actually. One of the more recent chapters deals with the topic of pain. Morrie, a retired/dying sociology teacher, tells his former/current student that when an emotion comes, let it all in. If you're sad, soak it up. If you get angry, soak it in. The point being here, is that you're not pushing back any feelings. This doesn't mean to take it out on anyone else, but by letting it all come in and wash over you, you can now identify what that emotion is.
After letting an emotion completely in, you can now identify that feeling. And when you can identify it, you can train yourself to simply "let go." I'm probably not explaining this well, so here's my example for the day:
Just a little bit ago, I felt guilty for being so lazy this morning. I've been sitting at my computer doing nothing. Nothing. I've been lifeless for two hours. I let the guilt, in essence, take over me briefly, and then I suddenly snapped and said to myself, "This is guilt. I'm done feeling guilty now, so I quit." And now I'm motivated again to move forward with my day. I'm about to go get groceries actually.
4 comments:
Brian! Hello! I just read your blog and I enjoyed hearing your thoughts on what you were reading. I haven't read that book but heard of it. I do like that idea of taking the time to recognize how you are feeling. That is important to pay attention to. I like it that you were realizing that it shouldn't be given alot of time though. I ve found that when I or a friend of mine spends mucho time thinking on how they feel, they end up being consumed with self. That takes focus off of God and serving others which is pride. Sorry, i just spent a long evening sitting in on counseling sessions, observing people talk about their feelings (for my class at the church), so I am well aware of where alot of people end up in result of makin decisions for their life based on how they feel. We could dialogue on this if you like.... ;)
Come to think of it, I would say "self pity" is one of the largest weapons ever used against us. It consumes us and keeps us from making progress in our walk with ourselves, others and God. If we could accept to ourselves, "Yes, this is self pity. I don't need this," then we take a step forward on the path again.
we love to put the focus on ourselves....:) it's true. but we don't see it because Jeremiah 17:9 says that our hearts are deceitful and sick beyond cure.
In a similar fashion, I don't think that verse provides reason to give up hope, either. God is a being of love and life, and when we find ourselves weeping over hopeless thoughts, He basically tells us to stop.
"A time to live, a time to grieve." I'm pretty sure that's how it goes. Anyway, I distinctly feel as though he wants us to use our grief as a tool to live. Not let is consume us, but rather let us guide us. To seek Him and to seek Love.
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