The Elijah Project #6: What am I Feeling?

After youth group a few weeks ago one of our students asked to show me something.  Her instructions were to fashion fear from pipecleaners.  I sat at the table and she placed a black blob spidery looking creature in front of me.  She then slowly pulled each pipe cleaner apart and assembled the word FEAR, pictured above. 

I love the fact that the figure of fear was a blob like spidery creature.  I think our feelings often feel like a blob.  It is difficult to figure out how to unpack our feelings.  Which are the primary feelings versus the secondary feeligns.

Today feel?

Feeling is dangerous.  It is scarey and sometimes we don't respond the way we want to when we open ourselves to our emotions.  It is easier to stay numb... then to truly feel.

I have a formula for feeling as an adult that is allowing me to process my emotion with less regret.  I am trying to LIVE the Fruits of the Spirit.  When I allow myself to feel within the fruit of love, joy, peace, pateince, kindness, gentleness and self-control, I live more freely and with less regret and guilt.  When I respond to fear with self-control... I stop and breath.  I walk away.  I close my mouth.  I pray in my head.  And then... I get in my car ALONE and let it go.  I yell, scream, rant, rave, cry and moan... and then through that I find the root which is usually not the symptom or the leaf that I was reacting to.

Stop.  Pause.  Breath.  Pray.  And then FEEL!

Below is my fear picture.  I drew solid black lines over my head... covering over the blue and green (the calm).  Fear clouds my mind so that I feel disconnected and alone.  God says He is peace!

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you.  I give to you and not as the world gives.  Don't be troubled or afraid."  John 14:27