Emotional Junk Drawer: The After Monday

A giant 'Hello' to our new friends in Brazil, Ukraine, and France! I'm so, so glad you could all join us!! Isn't it amazing how a few weeks ago we were struggling alone with opening these tangled emotional messes and here we are today, endeavoring to run this race without all the baggage and we are doing it with friends from around the globe? That actually makes me even more motivated! Everyone do the happy dance!

(IT'S NOT JUST ME! IT'S NOT JUST ME!)

So what happens now that we've decided to run? It's Monday and not just any Monday, it's the NEXT Monday. You know the one. It's the hardest one of all. It's like the one after starting a new diet or trying a new haircut.  Life wakes you up in a way that makes you reconsider all your life choices, all at once. (Or your like me and you just have 8 kids and every day is "THAT Monday" and you always have to give yourself a special pep talk in the morning to keep going) It's THAT Monday. So now what?

Over the weekend I had the chance to talk with someone very close to me who has built an emotional junk drawer 40 years thick. She wasn't even aware that's what has been making her life so miserable for so long. She was tired emotionally and spiritually. We talked for three hours about the burdens that weighed her down and how to begin emptying them all out. Yet, it was her reluctance to let go that hurt my heart. She admitted it was there, she acknowledged the pain it was causing, she even pointed out how it was driving away her relationships with others, but she just didn't want to unpack any of it because she was too tired. Her pain was real, I've felt that way too. I'm sure many of you have felt that way before. 

Maybe that's where you are on this Monday. You realized what was going on last week and you got to the edge of dumping it all out, but then here you are-tired, empty, beaten down. You want to run the race, but you're just not sure you can right now. 

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Hebrews 12: 12-13

If you thought that ANY of us just dumped out all of our problems in one pass, you are sorely mistaken. Have you ever met a woman?? Here's the thing, I have been bringing my junk to Jesus every day for a while now. (I told ya'll I had a lot). The more I bring, the more I realize I have. Rom 8:26-27 reminds us that even when we can't put words to what is happening, the Spirit intercedes for us. When we are doing the ugly cry, God still understands our babble. Just don't wait until you have it all figured out because you won't. When you understand and embrace that God searches every piece of your heart and knows your junk better than you do, you can sit with Him and leave with Him. Here's the thing, there's only one way to not go back to your old way. Old habits don't just magically disappear. We are creatures of habit. We need to learn new and better ways. I go back to Psalm 119 and what David chose during his times of deepest despair.

 When I think of your ways,    I turn my feet to your decrees; I hurry and do not delay    to keep your commandments.Ps 119:59-60

Have you ever noticed the body language of people who in conversation? When someone is truly engaged in a conversation their feet are pointed towards the person speaking. They point their entire body at the person and immerse themselves in the dialogue. David doesn't just listen to God, he turns his feet in the direction he wants to go. He is fully engaged. We can read and listen to good advice all day long, but without action nothing will change. We need to turn our life in the direction we want to go in following Christ. David then follows by saying "I hurry and do not delay". In all his emotional struggle, he still knew that putting off this one thing would be the worst mistake he could make. Like I've said before, sometimes we need time to grieve and sometimes healing takes time, but keeping our junk around because it's too painful to deal with is simply not an option. We have to turn our feet in the right direction and hurry up about it! If today is hard, that's okay. It's okay to not be okay EVERY DAY. Sweetie, even Jesus cried. Remember last week? We need grace and we need to run! We can't beat ourselves up about the bad day, but we can't lay down and give up either (the children can smell fear!!!)
So it's Monday. Here's the message of hope and grace for each hard day.

Your hands have made and fashioned me;    give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice,    because I have hoped in your word. Ps 119:73-74 (emphasis mine)

 I would love to expand the conversation. If you connect with what we are learning, please comment and share your stories through your chosen social platform. I connect with many you in a variety of ways, so let's connect our friends and bridge the gap by sharing with each other our victories, our stories, and prayer requests. Let's not just empty our drawers of all the unhealthy junk, let's begin the process of surrounding ourselves with the people who make sure we don't fill them up again! We need sisters who keep us from stuffing our drawers just like dieters need sisters to keep them from stuffing their faces!