Stuffed

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Prov. 17:22


Stuffing should only be found in turkeys or pillows...You can only put so much in at one time and then there is no more room. We all handle our emotions in different ways. Some of us are like a firehose, we just let it all coming gushing out without regard for the person on the other end. Some of us are like crock pots. We push feelings down until the pot is ready to explode. Whatever the emotion is; whether it is feeling alone, sadness, anger, feeling disrespected, or annoyed, stuffing these feelings over a period of time is not healthy.

Time and time again, my path crosses with people young and old who do not know how to balance their feelings in a healthy way. Feelings are given to us by God. How we handle them is a personal choice. I wish part of school curriculum in health class dealt with what are emotions and how do we handle them starting at a young age. So many kids and teenagers now are caught in the crossfire of their parents' divorce and don't know what to do with their hearts. It is hard for them to be honest and express how they are feeling and even worse, knowing who they can trust. We are becoming a society who hides behind a mask and in turn we act rudely, curtly, dishonoring and devaluing other human beings.

There was a time in my life, when so many experiences had happened to me, that I couldn't even put a label on the emotion...today I feel confused, angry, sad. There was a whole list sitting in front of me and I couldn't even attach one word to what I was feeling. Feeling numb is the result of stuffing. It has taken me many years to realize that the first place to release negative emotions is God. I realize that He knows everything we are thinking and feeling, however, knowing He is there and is willing to hear the good and the bad in life helps me find peace. When I need a person in the flesh, it is important to find a safe friend, spouse or someone who can be trusted to talk things out. I have often found that Satan loves to keep us in place where we are isolated. God has created us to be in community and a simple "Will you pray for me today?" can be very healing. The words "I understand what you are going through", is so comforting for me. I often heard the saying, "To have a friend, takes the willingness on our part to be a friend." Journaling for me is another priceless tool to express words that can't or shouldn't be expressed out loud!

Do you take the time to look on the faces of those you meet and study their expressions? Are they full of joy or do you see other emotions? Some like only to hear the reply when asked "How are you?", fine! But what if the expression that you read doesn't match the response? Do you care enough to go beyond the response to take the next step and ask another question? Often it only takes a few seconds to share encouraging words to another that can change the direction of their day or make a difference for years to come.