Quote:
Originally Posted by jediwill83
Im sitting on the edge of my bed struggling to work through my thoughts on this topic. I have a lot of first hand experience masking through my "issues" pretending everything is ok.
Some of these issues do indeed stem from childhood.
I also know what its like to recognize when others who behave as if they have no issues and they rail against those with this issue and that issue only for them to drop their mask and reveal that they too have deep struggles stemming from the past.
The enemy isolates.
One way he isolates is encouraging you to think that you are alone in your struggle.
I dont know if Im misreading the room in this discussion but I almost get the feeling that some of you would be more comfortable if people would be less transparent with their struggles and pretend everything is a ok than to be open and honest.
I used to attend POA.
The outreach they are doing is phenomenal.
Ive seen it with my own eyes.
We like to believe that we are so spiritual that we are above such mundane things like trauma and addiction.
We arent.
The last two weeks Ive woken up weeping and hyperventilating from anxiety.
Ive had many things over the years that God has helped me with and still many things that weigh on my mind and my spirit.
Sometimes after we have had a victory, the battle preceeding the victory can leave wounds and scars.
There are times where things can trigger flashbacks for me and mentally and emotionally I feel like Im in a different time...a worse time.
It takes a bit of time for me to reacclimate myself to the reality of my current circumstances.
Sometimes my wife struggles and I flashback to that same panicked emotional and place.
The hypervigilence...trying to prepare for a battle that I dont know how long will last...or even if we will come out of it.
I believe that the spirit of what Sis Mickey was trying to convey is that no matter your current struggle, that you can come out.
We we continue to provide an envirionment where we are not bearing the burdens of others we cannot fulfill the law of Christ.
Thats not something you do in a one time altar service.
Its what you do through connection, relationship and accountability.
What happens in our altar services?
Buncha folks shouting, getting loud telling God what He needs to do to fix someones life thats at the end of their rope?
Thats not bearing their burden...and its certainly not been a way that MY burdens get lightened or lifted.
When someone is able to drop the mask and be vulnerable Ive seen amazing miracles of ministry occur.
Just some thoughts and opinions here.
Lotta people lately out of nowhere doing something tragic that nobody expected and Id hate the thought that something I said, did or promoted contributed to someone not feeling like they could be real about what they were dealing with.
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Spot on. The emotional orgasm of a Sunday night service might be nice (that's debatable), but it's not where the real healing happens.