I was standing in line at the grocery store the other day and was overwhelmed by all the options of things to read. The person ahead of me had 90 items, so I had some time to take a gander at the shiney in front of me. There was every topic possible on that magazine rack. The topics ranged from superstar gossip, weight loss, newest fad, sex life solutions, body image, hair color, botox, ideal vacations to places 1% of the population will ever experience, and some latest drug to enhance or cure something.
Ninety items later, I was exhausted by the one billion messages staring at me. I was set up by that magazine rack to leave the store feeling more empty then just my stomach that night.
There are too many options that enable us to not have to feel. We can literally go through life numb. We don’t have to feel guilty, sad, lonely, angry, or emptiness at all. One day there will be a procedure we can get to remove our emotions all together!
We have lost the ability to know what sitting well even means. How do we sit well in places that are uncomfortable? How do we deal with feeling uncomfortable when we don’t “have” to?
Our culture has digressed to a place where dealing with our emotions and pain is a foreign concept. I mean what do our emotions have to do with God? Why do we even have them?
Emotions are life’s GPS to our hearts. Emotions are messages that tell us that something is going on in our hearts. The different emotions we experience aide in identifying what that something is.
It is really hard to sit in feeling uncomfortable. No one likes it. No one likes being angry or sad. No one I know loves feeling hurt or lonely. What do you do in those places? How are you either pushing through or numbing that uncomfortable place?
I hate being angry. It is the worst feeling. I hate everything about it. I can sit in sadness. I can deal with that, but anger, dang! However, I have two choices when dealing with my anger. I can go off on everyone and anyone. I can throw stuff, yell, or make bystandards pay. I also have the choice to sit in the anger. I could actually deal with my anger and think it through. When I’m angry I hit the gym or go for a run. Not a gauenteed release, but leaves less of a wake the other choice does.
Loneliness is a subtle one that causes discomfort. The response to loneliness has two choices as well. I could fill my life with everything and everyone. I could put an extra one hundred hours a week at my job to avoid loneliness. Sometimes this choice can add to the loneliness rather than “fix” it. I could also recognize my loneliness and sit in it. I could leave some of that uncomfortable space open for the Lord. Honestly there are seasons of life where God wants just you. Everyone experiences the feared loneliness at one time or another.
God promises to be in all things with us if we will sit long enough in our discomfort and let him. God desires for us to respond well in our God given emotions. It may not feel like it, but our emotions are for us not against us.
So the question I am asking myself is how do I sit well in my stuff? What do I do with loneliness, exhaustion, pain, grief, anger, sadness, discontentment, disappointment, and the emotions alike?
I will ask you the same questions. What would it mean for you to sit well in your stuff?
There’s something I’ve been sitting in for a long time. And while sitting in it, I’ve kept my arms wrapped tightly around it, allowing it to begin to define me. I mean, almost literally, I’ve become the fear and stress and anxiety that I’ve been stewing in for YEARS. And quite frankly, I’ve had enough of it!
I haven’t been letting God fix things. Being a fixer myself, I’ve been trying to do it on my own. I tell myself it’s not a matter of trust; it’s not that I don’t trust Him – it’s the REST of the world I don’t trust.
But I can’t keep doing it. Right now, sitting well in my stuff means giving it to Him and allowing Him to get rid of my fear and worry. I always say He can use me in whatever way He sees fit, to glorify Him. It’s time to actually ALLOW Him to do that, whatever it is.
awesome point about our stuffing defining us as we hold tight to it. It’s not just about sitting in our stuff, but handing it over. You could just sit, but what would that do? it’s sitting while he covers over us. Sitting while experiencing change seems almost oxymoronish. We feel like we need to assist or do something to help the change. But he has got us covered!
love your thoughts!!
“There are too many options that enable us to not have to feel.”
…. but then God moves you down to rural Georgia where there is only one gas station and no Target and you are forced to finally face all that stuff you were avoiding.
Oye… such was the story of my 04-09 :) It is so easy here in a big city – to avoid feeling, thinking, to go numb… and so unhealthy :) thanks for the reminder
hahaha!! oh rural GA changin your life! Who knew it would take a one stop light, barely a walmart, and one gas station/bait shop to bring on the slowness. His ways are definitely not our ways! I know it was a rich time for your heart as well. Grateful you had rural GA!
I had this convo with a co-worker today.
Working in the type of environment we do you see alot of tragedy. And I’m sure there’s alot of people who experience the same.
A former client passed away over the weekend. An overdose.
My co-worker asked me how I was doing. How I felt about it all. And I just shrugged my shoulders, and made it about her and how she was dealing with it.
All that to say this… I “deal” with my stuff by choosing not to deal with it. Metaphorically speaking, I sit on the front porch in the rocking chair while there is nothing but death lurking beneath the beams. Years of brokenness, disappointment, hatred, death. I choose to make sure that I don’t have to see it. It’s still there – but I don’t have to deal with it.
I know it’s not healthy. I suppose the truth of the matter is – I’m struggling just as you are to figure out how to deal with it all and “sit well” in it.
It’s gotten far to easy just to push it aside.
[…] – Sitting in my Stuff – Tracee at Come and See. Truthfully, it was really difficult to pick just one of […]
HI,
Great post! I think another part of this is to allow some space/silence in our lives. I was really convicted about a month ago to turn off the noise (radio, etc.) and use electronic gadgets sparingly. It was remarkable how hard it was at first. (Can you say addiction?)
But it really has helped my peace of mind and emotions. It is hard because I want to “fill up space” just like you mentioned in your post. But the space allows God and other people in.
Hey Amber,
I can get so attached to the noise as well. it cracks me up to think about how all that noise was too much confusion to get the hang of in the beginning, and now i’m in a routine that has me hooked! I know i lack awareness of my need for him. I get frustrated at all of the other things that fill my life other than him. it’s exhausting! it’s exhausting for a reason!.
Love your thoughts! thank you!
Hi Tracee,
My name is Jim, and I am a fan of Jenny’s and followed over from her site. I like what you have to say, and I like your Godly view, so I will be checking back. Thanks for your words of wisdom.
God Bless
Jim
Hi Jim!
Thanks for clicking over! Can’t wait to check out your heart!!
i’m so bad at sitting. standing burns more calories.
but I desire to sit in the pine needles and smelly odors…not only when necessary…but also when beneficial in the longer run.
[…] – Sitting in my Stuff – Tracee at Come and See. Truthfully, it was really difficult to pick just one of […]