Babysteps and Obstacles
In the Sunday service, we’ve spent the last several weeks talking about the obstacles we experience in our journey with God. My main obstacle is anger.
I get the angriest with people who appear to me to be what I am most afraid of becoming. If your behavior strikes me as selfish, I’m going to be incredibly annoyed. If you seem judgmental, I’m going to struggle to not give you a piece of my mind…in love, of course. And, if you are prideful and critical of others (or, God help you, critical of me), I’m going to have a hard time being in the same room with you. Or, I’ll avoid you out of abject fear of rejection.
Fortunately, God hasn’t left me in my self-focused, judgmental and hyper-critical place. As I catch a glimpse of the unfathomable depths of my sin, God has been gracious enough to remind me that all sin, mine or yours, is a result of brokenness. And, good news to all who ever walked this planet, God is in the business of restoring brokenness and redeeming selfish, judgmental, prideful and critical critters and making us into saints.
Years ago, I read about a saint from the early Church who was known for humility and forgiveness. His name has long since flitted out of the sieve I call a mind, so I’m naming him Saint Fred. What was said of him was basically this. “The surest way to develop a lifelong relationship of love, kindness, compassion and service from Saint Fred is to offend him.” Apparently, Saint Fred took seriously Jesus’ command to “Bless those who curse you.” So, following the tradition of Jesus and Saint Fred, that’s been one of the steps I’ve taken to continue overcoming this obstacle every time it looms before me. The Pathways are crucial to my endeavor. Because of my circumstances, I’ll list them in reverse order. So, if you need to read SPIRE, turn your head or the monitor upside-down.
Emotional - Through counseling, I’ve become more aware of why my fears get translated directly into anger. I’m learning about how I’m broken and how that impacts my worldview, relationships, etc. I am discovering what issues I have and what needs to be addressed.
Relational - I have the best husband at Evergreen. (Sorry, ladies…it’s true.) My husband helps me see where my past issues are impacting current relationships and when I am starting to go off course. My inner core of friends are patient with me when I get all knotted up, but are willing to stand up to me and redirect my attention from “you” to me when necessary. They love me amazingly well. Thus, there are safe relationships for me here.
Intellectual - I’ve read books, studied the Bible and listened to I don’t know how many teachings on anger, forgiveness, fear, etc. As I discover topics germane to my experience (in counseling), I am able to learn more about those issues and dynamics.
Physical - I’ve been recognizing how the emotional issues which trigger my anger also impact my health. Seeing the connections has allowed me to begin taking steps to rectify the issues, whether headaches, weight, schedule, budget, etc.
Spiritual - This is the biggie for me. Taking all of the other Pathways before God on a regular basis allows me to maintain an anchor through the storms. When I confess the anger, God restores me. When I struggle with fear, He shows me how He has been faithful in the past and how I have safe places and relationships now. When I’m journaling about how Saint Frieda has annoyed the bejabbers out of me…again…God whispers to me about doing something nice for her, or sending her a card, or praying for her daily for a week, etc.
I wouldn’t have the foundation to hear God’s voice in “S” without the “PIRE.” So, yeah, sending a card to the one who annoys you is a baby step. But, there can be a lot of work involved in getting to the baby step.
Are you using the all of the Pathways? How can we help? And, make sure you check your mailbox for my card. <GRIN>
- Written by Alicia Hemphill
July 8th, 2008 at 11:59 am
I loved this blog. I couldn’t wait to finish reading so that I could respond. You know, Evergreen has been a great help in my walk with God. The Pathways have been more helpful than I thought. Anyone who knows me well will say that I’m an emotional person. If you’ve seen me lead worship, I think you’ll say that I lead and sing out of emotion too. That’s just me. But, being introduced to the other Pathways have opened more communication between me and God.
Emotional - I admit that I have issues that I need ALOT of help with. Counseling has helped me identify the causes of my reactions to certain acts. It definitely stems from my past. It’s great to be able to address this and make changes for the better.
Relational - This pathway was my most difficult pathway. I couldn’t trust people. When you’ve been hurt so much, you automatically put up walls. It’s taken a couple of years, but I have friends now and not just acquaintences. My friends don’t judge me and accept me for who I am. They actually give me good, Godly advice or they sit and listen to me go on and on without saying a word. They come to my rescue when I’m losing it in every sense of the word. I’ve learned to trust again. I even have a certain friend who flicks me on my forehead when I say something stupid. That really shows that I’ve changed because I’m a fighter. I’ve also learned to love people where they are in their journey. If someone’s mad at me and we have it out and we forgive each other…..I truly forgive them. It’s in the past. I move on. I show love to those who hurt me or don’t like me. It’s fantastic!!!!! I never knew it could be such a blessing to me.
Intellectual - This has been hard for me because in the past, I only read the bible. I didn’t want to read spiritual/inspirational books. If it wasn’t the word, I didn’t want anything to do with it. Now, I’ve read some great stuff that has taught me some history, gave me clearer understanding, and definitely has been encouraging for my journey.
Physical - I keep everything from furniture, clothing, decor, etc. I have stuff from 20-30 years. It’s just sitting there in my garage collecting dust. The Lord has shown me through this pathway that other people can be helped through the giving away of my stuff. I need to give. I have to give. You can come up to me and ask me what have I given away. This will help me to get a move on.
Spiritual - There’s so much power in prayer. I know at times we get slack in our time with God, but this helps me to pray more and seek God more. I have people in my life that pray with me every day. I keep scriptures on my desk at work that I read daily. I have prayers on my wall.
I didn’t mean to go on and on, but I am so happy that I’ve gotten to release all of this. I hope this helps someone to incorporate the Pathways in his/her life. God bless!!!!!
July 9th, 2008 at 6:43 am
That’s awesome to hear!
The way we describe our journey with God can seem weird to some. It’s difficult to pursue God in ways that aren’t normally our first choice…like the Intellectual Pathway issue you mentioned. But, it can open huge areas of growth. I’m so glad you’re making progress. But, your friend with the flicking, she really needs therapy or something…tee hee hee…