Throw-Up

Throw-Up.

It's nasty.  No one likes to do it.  It leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Our words can be like throw-up. 

If you let all of your bad thoughts, feelings, and ideas build up inside of you, they WILL eventually come out. You may find yourself suddenly spewing out all of those negative thoughts, feelings, and ideas that you've been holding in-- it may be directed at your spouse, your kids, your co-workers, or your friends.  When it's all over, you'll probably feel better, but that person you love is standing there, covered in your verbal throw-up.  Not a pretty picture.

I think we've all found ourselves ready to verbally puke all over someone.  And the thing is, the "someone" you just vomited all over probably isn't even the person who's been upsetting you...most likely, they just happened to "be there".

Do you have an outlet for your feelings so you don't find yourself in this situation?

Here are some of the things that work for me:

1.  Prayer- I know...so cliche!  But sometimes just a quick, "Lord, help me control my mouth!" does wonders!

2.  Removing myself from the stressful situation.  Sometimes I just have to mentally tell myself, "Walk away.  Don't do it."

3.  Retail Therapy.  Laugh if you want, but it works for me!  Maybe it's because it's something I truly enjoy, so it helps neutralize the negative thoughts running rampantly through my brain.  For you it may be crafting, playing an instrument, reading, etc.  The point is to find something that you enjoy doing and can give you some peaceful time alone.

4.  Talk to someone.  Sometimes you just have to talk to someone completely outside of the situation.  They (hopefully) can help you see the situation from other points of view and talk you through it.  For me, this is often my mom, sister, and a few other friends in Albuquerque.  They live 1/2 way across the country and are usually not the source of my angst, so I feel that I can be completely honest since they aren't directly involved in any of the situations I'm dealing with.  (P.S. "Angst" is a fun word to say, which is weird, because "angst" implies that something is not fun.  Sorry...off the subject.)

5.  Talk to someone.  I know I just said the same thing in #4, but this time, I mean talk to the person you are having an issue with.  But I attach a warning to this.  Only go this route if you are truly and sincerely trying to mend what is broken, otherwise, you'll end up verbally puking all over them and that will only make matters worse.  And if you try to do the right thing and the other person won't hear you out, look again at #1 and #2 and read #6 and #7 below!

6.  Take a deep, cleansing breath.  I know it sounds ridiculously simple, but it can give you just enough time to calm your thoughts.

7.  Bite your tongue.  Literally.  Sometimes, when I'm really upset and want to verbally vomit all over someone, I literally have to bite my tongue so I don't say something I'll regret later.  This happens all too often.  Note to self:  I should probably invest in Orajel.

These are not, by any means, "THE answer" to stopping verbal diarrhea, but it's a start.  The point is to find what works for you.

A silly example of this from the movie Puss In Boots is when Humpty Dumpty says, "Little Boy Blue, remember: When you feel like you're going to blow your top, blow your horn instead."

Psalm 19:14 says, "May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you, Oh Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." -- If you've meditated on it in your heart, it's going to come out in your words.

Find a Godly, healthy, and constructive way to handle it.

What do you do when you feel like you're going to blow your top?

Doors

This week I was reading Genesis.  In chapter 4, Cain and Abel both present their sacrifices to the Lord.  Cain brings an offering from his work in the fields.  Abel brings the first and best of his flocks.  God accepts Abel's offering but denies Cain's.  Cain becomes angry.

In verse 7, it says, "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?  And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door and its desire is for you, but you must master it."

Crouching.  When I read that word, I remember being a kid and crouching down to hide from the neighborhood kids during a water gun war.  Or I think of a lion crouching down in the tall brittle grasses of a savanna, waiting for just the right moment to pounce on its prey.  To me, the word "crouching" is a sneaky word.

Genesis 4:7 says that "if you do not do well, sin is crouching at your door and its desire is for you..."

Did you read that?  It's easy to do the right thing when everything is going well.  But when things in life are not going as planned, sin is like a lion crouching in your tall brittle thoughts, waiting for just the right moment to pounce on you.  It desires you.

In my lifetime, I must've read Genesis 4 at least 25 times.  But this time when I read it, the word "door" stood out to me, and I immediately thought of another verse that talks about a door.

Revelation 3:20 - "Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me."   

I was immediately struck with the difference between these 2 situations involving a door.  These 2 situations involving my heart.  (***Yes.  In case you missed it, the word "door" in these 2 verses is talking about your heart.***)

When things don't go my way, sin is sneakily crouching near my door just waiting for a weakness to slip in when I'm distracted by my selfishness.  

But not Jesus.  Do you see the difference?  Jesus stands BOLDLY at the door of my heart and knocks.  And when I open it, He not only comes in; He shares nourishment with me. ("I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.")  It's like when you're expecting company.  You clean your house, prepare a meal, and wait anxiously for them to come so you can open your front door and welcome them in.  

It all comes down to your door.  Are you hiding behind it while sin is crouching outside waiting for a weakness?  Or are you there anticipating Jesus' BOLD knock and ready to invite him in for nourishment?