Try harder, you can do it, just memorise these verses/insights, pray more, … just STOP IT.
Ever felt frustrated at change in yourself. You try to stop doing the things that annoy you and others. You try and try and try. You have people in your life who think you’re being lazy, naughty, selfish. Labels fly and you seek help from a psychologist.
One definition of the word ‘Stopping’ is to close an opening or hole by covering, filling in, or plugging up. A bottle of wine is stopped by placing a cork in its opening.
Often we put a cork in our mouths to stop ourselves from expressing what is really going on, deep down. We think by ‘stopping it’ the thoughts and feelings will magically resolve themselves. We may have had experiences of talking and expressing our thoughts and feelings only to be put down, ridiculed, gossiped about, shamed.
So we ‘Stop it’.
Give the bottle of our lives enough shaking though and the cork will slowly squeeze up to the top no matter what we do and an explosion of emotion bursts out. Shame, guilt, fear, and embarrassment smear the soul.
So what do we do?
We ‘Stop it’ again.
We repress our deepest thoughts and feelings and hope we can contain it all better next time.
The cycle of bondage to the cork continues.
Some times I think our Church experiences encourage a Band-Aid mentality of superficial soul care.
What is really needed are Safe people.
People who will gently explore the deep (and often dark) caverns of the soul where the corked bottles remain. For some it is a veritable wine cellar of vingerary, out of date, vintage, pus. Nice metaphor? not really.
Please don’t ‘Stop it’ any longer.
Seek help, find people who are safe. The Pastor, the Counsellor, the Spiritual Director, the friend who listens without judgment and doesn’t reach for ‘quick fix’ band aids.
Questions to Consider and leave a comment.
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Why do we try and play ‘Stop it’.
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What makes a person safe?
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Have you had people tell you ‘Stop it’ either directly or indirectly? Have you done this yourself to yourself?
Barry Pearman
Photo Credit: Generation X-Ray via Compfight cc
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