Watered Down

I try to find a balance between allowing myself to feel my emotions and not be dictated by them.

I don’t want to water my feelings down, and I also don’t want them to consume me.

There’s a few tools that I’ve gained from wise people in my life that help me navigate my feelings as they come – sometimes subtly, and sometimes in heavy waves.

GO TO GOD – Prayer and meditation on Scripture is my go-to. The Bible app makes it easy to search keywords and find related Scriptures, prayers, and Bible plans. I speak these Scriptures aloud so I can get the truth engrained in my heart and let the devil know I ain’t playing! When I pray, I let God know how I’m feeling. I ask for help to get through it. I ask Him to use me to do the work of His kingdom and to help someone else.
TALK TO SOMEONE – And I can’t just talk to anyone. I’m blessed to have a lot of people in my life who don’t co-sign whatever I’m saying or feeling. I know I’m going to get Godly wisdom, practical feedback, and ultimately what’s best for me to do. They validate my feelings, but they also help me not to stay stuck. When I find that I’m keeping a lot of my emotions and life to myself, I start slipping back into self will and self reliance, instead of God’s will and God-reliance. Trusted counsel is so important for my sanity.
JOURNAL – If I’m gonna do anything, it’s write about it. There’s something about pen and paper that I find really therapeutic. It’s a great outlet, and I love to revisit old journals and be reminded of all the things God has brought me through and the growth I’ve experienced.
GRATITUDE LIST – You can’t complain when you have a thankful heart. This is severely stressed in AA. And it actually works. When I’m vexed, I write or speak aloud what I’m grateful for – from clean water to having a job to freedom from the bondage of addiction and everything in between.
SERVICE – When I’m doing something to help another person, I’m not in my own head. I get to be in a place of selflessness and service, which combats my selfish and self-obsessed nature.

I’m learning that there’s no need to avoid my feelings. I don’t have to run from them. I can engage with them through practical and spiritual tools. And they actually work! It’s not a perfect practice because I’m as imperfect as they come, but I hardly spend time under the weight of my emotions these days.

A Bible plan that I’m reading said that “The Psalms prevent us from suppressing our emotions or being blindly controlled by them. Instead, they teach us to engage with what we’re feeling, bring those feelings to God, and then examine them in light of His Word!”

Hope this helps somebody. 🤎

xoxoxo,

DASH