I have a particular ass~signment that was suggested I complete for me to get to the other side of this emotional pain and discomfort from my heartache. I took the single sheet of paper out tonight for probably the fifth time. As I looked at it with more determination this time, I vowed to accomplish the daunting task at hand. Try as I may to muster up the courage, the tears poured like the rain outside my window. Again I ask the question, how the fuck am I going to conclude this “closure work” around something I never wanted to be closed in the first place?
Apparently if I do this work, miraculously the nearly three years I invested my heart in will heal just like that? Call me a pessimist, but I am certain it does not quite work like that. There is a process to it that with God and time I will heal. I continue to work a spiritual program of emotional sobriety and one thing I know is, I only get back the amount I am willing to put into anything. I also know that forcing a solution rarely, if ever, works. When I give time ample time, the results will come because of my efforts.
In posing the question to myself, “what spouted off the waterworks that were so incredibly intense this evening”? Aside from the paper that now is tucked away back in my journal for safe hiding, the answers weren’t clear, so I sat with my feelings and just let the tears flow, again. Once they subsided, I began to explore the partitions of my heart. I thought of recent days and realized how alone I feel. Events of life occur, obstacles, challenges, triumphs and successes. Sharing these things with someone makes the frightening parts feel cut in half and the glorious ones seem to double in joy. I feel cheated out of the option to confide and glorify in, or just run them by the one I want to.
I injured myself Friday at the finish line of my warmup mile run just before I was to start my workout at “the box”. I did a pretty damn good job of damaging parts of me if I do say so myself. I managed to get my banged up self to the car, I sat there bleeding, in shock and pain. I began to cry, more because the person I would have first called is no longer available to soothe and comfort me. After a few minutes, I pulled myself together and headed home to clean up.
I had enough presence of mind to send some pictures to my sister. I never shared my emotional state of sadness with her, only my anger at my own stupidity. Then I heard His words in my heart, “Stop. You’re not stupid..shit happens”. Followed by explicit instructions of what to do. I was remaining obedient even in His absence. How does that even work? As I showered, I was writhing in pain from the hot water stinging on my torn skin and swelling leg. While the tears continued to run down my cheeks I wondered what hurt more.
As always, I carried on with the next thing in front of me regardless of the aches that were consuming me. It was a long, quiet drive to my destination. I had entirely too much alone time in the car and could not seem to force the flow of the traffic to pick up its pace. The attempts to push thoughts from my mind were failing me. I cranked the stereo up louder and when I did, the speakers reminded me of repairs that were still in need of attention. Another indicator of unfinished business that will require closure too.
By now I was drowning in a sea of memories, one thought carrying over to another. Signs pointing out realities that are now making sense to me. Clarity I needed, that perhaps confusion kept me safe from at the time. Finally the turn off from the busy highway to a long, lonely country road that was leading me to a place where I’d find my safe haven for the next two nights. A place where just being me is acceptable and I could simply breathe or not, it was completely up to me.
At last the car led me down the familiar road and up the driveway where I could seek solace and comfort. Feeling so much physical pain at this point, I managed to pour my ass out of the car and limp up the sidewalk, open the door and settle in. It was in that very instance that I knew, when God brings me to it, His promise to me is He will get me through it. I stopped beating myself up for lacking the courage to force my way to the other side of this ordeal.
Up to this point in my life, I have walked through an over abundance of emotional pain. By the grace of God I have been learning what it takes to conquer those demons, one foot in front of the other, one second, one minute, one hour, one day at a time. I pray God, please move me through this with Your mercy and grace, but hurry up about it.
I was reminded today from a warm heart that I “have a good head on my shoulders” and to “stay that way”. ;-) My grateful reply was, “going backwards is not an option”. Those kinds words, along with many others, keep me in right thinking. I am a fulltime job worth paying attention to and I will always be a beautiful new creation in progress. The Lord is faithful within me, His love unfailing and everlasting.
