The Human Element
I had a meltdown this weekend. A genuine, gonna pack up my things and leave all these people, meltdown. I was exhausted, frustrated, mad, sad, overwhelmed and underappreciated. satan took his best shot. I am sad to say, it found a mark.
He does that ... lob's shots at us when we are vulnerable and weak. That's his calling card.
The Lord had given me some specific things to do with my family, this weekend, that would have (at least helped) bring some healing in areas we've struggled this year and he desperately didn't want that. He even used some of those people, I love so dearly, to sneak under my foundation and weaken it ... he likes to do that too.
I ended up having a really good weekend even if it wasn't the one I planned. I saw love. I saw some sweet ... sweet ... decisions to love, even if they didn't want to or understand. I saw Jesus.
My family will receive all the Healing Jesus paid for them, even if it didn't begin last weekend.
I am grateful for many things, on this last day of gratefulness but especially for the fact His mercies are new every morning.
We are human.
We break.
Not knowing our breaking point is often where our tragic flaw lies ... we often don't. I didn't see mine approaching ... head on ... at 100mph.
Sometimes we need to respect our humanity. By that I mean ... we need to be wise in discerning the rising levels of frustration and exhaustion before someone says something, sets us off and we realize we have been "clawing for air" for days, now and .... we break ... all over the place.
Do you know cardboard is really strong? Folded, just right, it can hold a car ... unless you turn a water hose on it. It crumples. It is ... after all ... just paper.
Sometimes, we adapt (fold) ourselves and accomplish amazing things. We bear up and assume the "weight" of a situation and think we can do this indefinitely ... then satan turns on his water hose. We crumple. We are, after all, just human. That human element can really get us!
It's not pretty.
The Lord told me, at the beginning of the year, he wanted me to start getting away for the weekend, with Him. I procrastinated, I kept looking for just the right place, I didn't want to spend the money ... after all .. spending $300, on a weekend, just for me? Unfathomable! I'm obviously still working on self worth issues.
The presence of God is, in many ways, like a bubble. It envelopes us. It heals us, it restores us, it teaches us, and it protects us. satan can puff, rant, chant, pant, pout and turn on his water hose all day long. As long as our bubble is in place we don't even know it's happening.
His sweet presence is literally a healing balm to our soul. I needed ... and need ... to work harder to stay in my bubble. I need to make it more of a financial and life priority.
The pressures I faced, this last weekend, were not all unavoidable.
While I have never been disappointed in my family (I am really, really proud of who they are. Their gifts, talents, personalities, character quirks all make me so proud. I love being around them. I love listening to them interact. I love who they are. I am deeply, totally enthralled with them and so proud of them. I have never been disappointed in these wonderful, amazing people God gave me) I have been frustrated and even disappointed in their treatment of me or each other.
I am not young, anymore. No, I'm not ready to say I am old but, my strength is not that of a 20 year old and I sometimes forget I can't "bulldoze" the last two days of an event and make it happen like I used to be able to do.
Pressures at work ... everyone gets that.
Pressures in finances ... everyone surely gets that.
One comment, Friday night, by someone not thinking and I cracked ... all over the place.
My bubble burst, in more ways than one.
I hope we all learned something. I pray we did, I don't want to repeat this weekend, ever.
Let me encourage anyone who may be reading this. When someone is cracked, distraught, vulnerable. However much you may feel they need it, don't argue with them. Don't chastise them. Don't attack them. If you have ever loved them, if you have any love in your heart for them (especially if you claim the name of Jesus Christ as your Savior) ... love them. One hug, yes they will push you away, you hurt them (at least in their eyes ... and face it ... there's always some truth in most accusations). One hug. It is a major "de-fuser". One hug, one "I love you". One, simple kind act can solve almost anything.
Pride is a horrible thing to hide behind when someone you love is hurting. You may not think they have a valid point, they are still hurting. You may think they are wrong, they are still hurting. You may think it demeans you, they are still hurting. Do you want to be that person that leaves someone you love hurting because you refuse to entertain the notion you could've done something wrong?
Working out the details can not happen until some peace is restored. Do you want to be like Jesus? He was called a "Restorer of the Breach". Maybe, like me, you were crumbling ... then say nothing, walk away ... find your bubble. But, by all means ... choose to not inflict more pain with cruel, judgmental words ... that is certainly not Christ like. Frankly ... sounds like someone with a water hose, to me.
He does that ... lob's shots at us when we are vulnerable and weak. That's his calling card. The Lord had given me some specific things to do with my family, this weekend, that would have (at least helped) bring some healing in areas we've struggled this year and he desperately didn't want that. He even used some of those people, I love so dearly, to sneak under my foundation and weaken it ... he likes to do that too.
I ended up having a really good weekend even if it wasn't the one I planned. I saw love. I saw some sweet ... sweet ... decisions to love, even if they didn't want to or understand. I saw Jesus.
My family will receive all the Healing Jesus paid for them, even if it didn't begin last weekend.
I am grateful for many things, on this last day of gratefulness but especially for the fact His mercies are new every morning.
We are human.
We break.
Not knowing our breaking point is often where our tragic flaw lies ... we often don't. I didn't see mine approaching ... head on ... at 100mph.
Sometimes we need to respect our humanity. By that I mean ... we need to be wise in discerning the rising levels of frustration and exhaustion before someone says something, sets us off and we realize we have been "clawing for air" for days, now and .... we break ... all over the place.
Do you know cardboard is really strong? Folded, just right, it can hold a car ... unless you turn a water hose on it. It crumples. It is ... after all ... just paper.
Sometimes, we adapt (fold) ourselves and accomplish amazing things. We bear up and assume the "weight" of a situation and think we can do this indefinitely ... then satan turns on his water hose. We crumple. We are, after all, just human. That human element can really get us!
It's not pretty.
The Lord told me, at the beginning of the year, he wanted me to start getting away for the weekend, with Him. I procrastinated, I kept looking for just the right place, I didn't want to spend the money ... after all .. spending $300, on a weekend, just for me? Unfathomable! I'm obviously still working on self worth issues.
The presence of God is, in many ways, like a bubble. It envelopes us. It heals us, it restores us, it teaches us, and it protects us. satan can puff, rant, chant, pant, pout and turn on his water hose all day long. As long as our bubble is in place we don't even know it's happening.
His sweet presence is literally a healing balm to our soul. I needed ... and need ... to work harder to stay in my bubble. I need to make it more of a financial and life priority.
The pressures I faced, this last weekend, were not all unavoidable.
While I have never been disappointed in my family (I am really, really proud of who they are. Their gifts, talents, personalities, character quirks all make me so proud. I love being around them. I love listening to them interact. I love who they are. I am deeply, totally enthralled with them and so proud of them. I have never been disappointed in these wonderful, amazing people God gave me) I have been frustrated and even disappointed in their treatment of me or each other.
I am not young, anymore. No, I'm not ready to say I am old but, my strength is not that of a 20 year old and I sometimes forget I can't "bulldoze" the last two days of an event and make it happen like I used to be able to do.
Pressures at work ... everyone gets that.
Pressures in finances ... everyone surely gets that.
One comment, Friday night, by someone not thinking and I cracked ... all over the place.
My bubble burst, in more ways than one.
I hope we all learned something. I pray we did, I don't want to repeat this weekend, ever.
Let me encourage anyone who may be reading this. When someone is cracked, distraught, vulnerable. However much you may feel they need it, don't argue with them. Don't chastise them. Don't attack them. If you have ever loved them, if you have any love in your heart for them (especially if you claim the name of Jesus Christ as your Savior) ... love them. One hug, yes they will push you away, you hurt them (at least in their eyes ... and face it ... there's always some truth in most accusations). One hug. It is a major "de-fuser". One hug, one "I love you". One, simple kind act can solve almost anything.
Pride is a horrible thing to hide behind when someone you love is hurting. You may not think they have a valid point, they are still hurting. You may think they are wrong, they are still hurting. You may think it demeans you, they are still hurting. Do you want to be that person that leaves someone you love hurting because you refuse to entertain the notion you could've done something wrong?
Working out the details can not happen until some peace is restored. Do you want to be like Jesus? He was called a "Restorer of the Breach". Maybe, like me, you were crumbling ... then say nothing, walk away ... find your bubble. But, by all means ... choose to not inflict more pain with cruel, judgmental words ... that is certainly not Christ like. Frankly ... sounds like someone with a water hose, to me.
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