Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. Philippians 4:8
Do you ever feel all churned-up on the inside? Sometimes you get out of bed and it’s like a storm has been spinning on the inside. You feel off and sometimes don’t even know why. Other times you could’ve had a completely irrational dream through the night, you could be dreading something that needs to get done during the day, or an uncomfortable situation that needs to be faced. It could simply be a Monday and it’s back to work or school.
Let’s take a look at storms around a beach. It’s always a great adventure to get up early the day after a storm has gone through and the water has been churned up to see what kind of treasures has been left behind. This is when you find some of the coolest seashells!
Another place to find treasures after something gets all churned-up is in the washing machine. There are times when pockets aren’t fully emptied and I miss something. I get treasures of coins, rocks, and amazing surprises! It’s what’s left behind after the cycle is over and things are calm again.
Not only can you get treasures from the washing machine, it also pulls out the dirt in clothes and leaves it behind. A dishwasher is the same in getting rid of the gross stuff. We are left with nice, sparkling dishes! There could be stuck on food and germs, but not after all the agitation inside while being ran. They are left much cleaner than when they were first put in.
Having thought about this, being churned-up isn’t always a bad thing. No, it doesn’t feel good at the time, but sometimes it’s necessary in getting the treasures that have been locked away. Also, it’s sometimes necessary in pushing out the gunk to get sparkling clean again. It’s actually exciting to know that we could be on the edge of something new and great when that feeling comes upon us!
This is helpful to recognize, but how do we handle it as we are going through it? We face a decision during these times…a fork in the road. We could let it take over our attitudes, words, and thoughts or get through it with grace and dignity. Sounds good and we’re getting somewhere, but I still have the question of how we can do that.
Nope, drinking won’t help or ignoring the situation won’t help. That will just suppress it and nothing will come out of all that churning. It would be wasted. Worse yet, it will have to happen all over again another day.
Since I don’t have the answers and I know someone who does, I would start there. Say a prayer. God knows for sure what we’re going through even if we don’t. We may not even know how to pray about it. That’s ok…keep it simple. “God, I’m feeling all churned-up and it doesn’t seem logical, but there it is. I can’t wish it away, but I know you can walk me through it and you can help give me peace while it’s happening. I’m not asking you take it away, but give me courage and strength to hold me up during the storm so that I can find the treasure you have waiting for me when it’s all over.”
By doing this, we have already been given power. Now we need to do our part and not dwell on those agitated feelings, even while we still acknowledge them. Remember…no pretending allowed. We are working through things in a healthy way while trusting God to take care of the problems.
The storm has to blow over and the washing machine and dishwasher have to complete their cycles before the finished work can be shown. By sitting, watching, and waiting for them to be complete, we are dragging out the process. We need to get our mind on good, positive things to pass the time even if we don’t “feel” like it. We need to do it in spite of our feelings.
Today, focus your mind on the treasures waiting for you, not dwelling on the churned-up feeling that you might not even understand in the first place.
