I’ll admit I was in a “funk” yesterday afternoon. Church was fine. Both campuses were off attendance wise, but that’s due to the holiday. A lot of people were traveling and vacationing with a three-day weekend. That didn’t get me down; I’m good with vacations. I want people to take vacations and down time, it’s good for us. We need the time to unwind and relax.
I was down a bit before leaving the Sterling Campus. We ran over to Tia Maria’s for Lunch. Several times Jolanta asked, “Where’s your mind?” I told her I was fine and just dismissed it as being tired. In reality, there had been two quick conversations yesterday morning, the hallway kind. More often than not, this stuff just rolls off my back. Yesterday, it was different; I held on to them. I allowed someone else’s comment to influence me negatively. I know the drill; I just didn’t practice the drill. When I allow something someone says to capture my emotions, I’m giving them permission to take control over my moods and emotions. Even though I didn’t actually give them permission, my actions demonstrated otherwise. By late afternoon, I’d “gotten over it.” I followed my own advice to “get over it” and “let it go.”
So why do I share this? I share this because it just doesn’t happen to me. Most people struggle with processing the words of others from time to time. Why did it happen? I’m not sure. Perhaps I was tired or maybe vulnerable in some other way. None the less, I was reminded of my personal responsibility to care for my emotions. Scripture tells me to “guard your heart” in Proverbs 4:23. I have the task to guard my heart, thoughts, and emotions. Yesterday served as a reminder as to the importance of the task.
If after reading this you are wondering if I’m referring to a conversation we had yesterday, don’t give it a thought. Since I was engaged in a number of conversations yesterday, it probably wasn’t a conversation we had or anything you said. In fact, I take full responsibility for how I process conversations.
Thanks for the transparency. Often times these are the situations that bridle us…we keep them bottled up inside and brood over seemingly innocuous remarks that were meant to “teach us a lesson” but rarely carry any venom…the sting, and the poison comes in us letting it affect us…change us…defeat us. While critique is a great tool…it is not a weapon! I am sure many have already benefited and God has been glorified from your blog today. Thanks!