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Est. 1996
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Polar Opposites Uncover
Hidden Truths By Shannon Parish
Tempers flair and hearts despair. Emotions ride up and down as a proverbial roller coaster was in a state of perpetual motion. Bills pile up, decisions need to be made, bad news arrives in the mail, on the phone or constantly through the T.V. amplifying daily struggles into fits of frustration and panic. Arguments between spouses, parents and children signal a higher level of stress than the day before, which in itself leads to frustration because problems are not getting resolved. When our world becomes too suffocating and our prayers not quite enough, where do we seek relief? Not temporary relief, but the kind of relief that comes from finding solid and true solutions to complex problems. The temptation is to push the emotions down until a 'more opportune time' of expression - which is simply another way of describing denial. What is it in us that makes us think that our Heavenly Father is not aware of our thoughts and feelings? When we go to Him in prayer, are we ingrained with religiosity that demands perfection - even in our prayers? Wouldn't that too be a type of denial? We pray, "Our Father, who art in Heaven ... Wouldst Thou grant to me, Thy lowly servant, a moment of Thy grace?" (Okay, so I'm exaggerating here - people don't REALLY pray like that anymore - do they?) Who are we fooling when we pray 'perfect' prayers? Take a look at this: 1 Cor 3:18-21 So, if God already knows my thoughts, who am I kidding when I leave out important conversations with Him? If He knows how angry I am with my spouse, or my boss, or Him for that matter, who does it benefit to leave these thoughts unsaid? What an enormous relief to just be honest with Him and admit my horrid thoughts and feelings! To be authentically who I am in all honesty, to the One who already knows who I am, is so much more productive than trying to impress Him with my own human wisdom and so called humility. So - now I've confessed honesty my inner most thoughts and feelings. I've vented, cried, pleaded, admitted, talked and sang. Whew! Relief. Is the problem solved? Not necessarily. My job now is to review the journey that brought me to my knees. After more conversations than I can count, I've come to believe that most of our frustrations and anger in life have to do with certain needs not being met. Real or imagined needs leave huge holes that left unidentified can create constant grief and irritation in our lives. It would then be obvious that any emotional outbursts are red flags that signal something that needs to be worked on. Recent or in the past - the Lord knows and is waiting to walk through the triggering event with you. Ask yourself this question, "Where else in your life have you reacted or felt this way?" As the memories come to mind, ask God to reveal truth from assumption. If you cannot put your finger on an event from the past that has triggered a common emotional reaction, the perhaps there is something lacking in your life that is necessary for your own soul's growth. For instance, if you are an ordered person who loves meeting goals and examining details and you are surrounded with people who are only interested in fun and breaking rules, you may have to set certain boundaries to ensure that you are able to function within your needed guidelines. The opposite is true if you are a fun loving person and the people around you are problem solvers and detail minded. If you are waiting for them to have fun, produce fun or encourage fun - don't hold your breath. Putting 'fun' into your life is your thing - their thing is order. Naturally, opposites attract. Naturally, needs will go un met. Praying out frustrations and being honest in prayer is bringing emotional junk to the surface of your heart so that it can be dealt with in the Holy of Holies. Holy scum if you will. The funny hums come when you find yourself humming softly rather than raging in anger because you have not only dealt with your destructive emotions, but have also identified areas that are lacking in your life that are necessary for your personal growth - and have made room and choices that have now allowed them to enter your life. Becoming authentic you allows you to praise and worship authentically. It takes the work out of trying to 'muster up the praise' because games are no longer on the agenda. Developing your relationship with God on an authentic basis also helps you to tap into authentic and supernatural grace, patience and unconditional love. Something you desperately need when dealing with those opposite personalities! Give yourself permission to be who God created you to be. Take volatile emotions as a bright red flag of opportunity to grow and rid yourself of destructive patterns and unforgiving thoughts. Purpose to make room in your life the things you need to maintain your emotional health. If you need fun - then do something that is fun and makes you laugh! If you need peace and quiet to recharge your batteries - then find a place and time where you can listen to soft music or read a book without interruption. Above all, tell God the truth of the matters in your heart. He already knows any way. And who knows? Maybe you too will find yourself humming funny.
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If perfect people existed, we
wouldn't need one another and we certainly wouldn't need
a Father in Heaven. But all too painfully, it is
quite clear that there is no such thing as a perfect
human being. Try as we might, we are forever falling
short.