When getting ready for vacation I forced myself to chose "only" four books that I could plough through poolside. I was so excited to knock some of these off my list. One book I picked up was "Unglued" by Lysa TerKeurst. The front cover says "making wise choices in the midst of raw emotions". Huh, that might do me some good.
My state of mind prior to vacation I would describe as tired, frustrated, angry, and over everything and everybody. Clearly, I was in desperate need of a vacation. Work had been very stressful. I was run down with the monotony of my everyday routine. I was sick of diapers, tantrums and teeth brushing that resulted in me looking like a drowned rat after wrestle mania with my two year old. I was over the questions about what money I had spent where, feeling under appreciated and unattractive. Clearly, I was in desperate need of a vacation.
Vacation did not turn out like I had envisioned. Once my husband and I were stripped of our jobs, routine, kid and home; there was no place to hide. Face to face for the first time in what felt like eternity, we fell apart. Some dirt long buried, some hurts left unattended, some needs left unmet rose to the surface. The glass half full approach tells me to look at this like a much needed alert for us to tend to these things. The pouty two year old inside me said "this sucks". Clearly, WE needed a vacation.
All the while I was reading this book, Unglued. That is precisely where my mind and heart stood. Making decisions daily in the midst of raw emotions. Lysa takes a grace filled approach to caring for our heart and soul while dealing with the daily assault we all take. Wether it be co-workers, family, kids, spouse, or the girl at the check out line, we all take some crap. Daily.
One of the most revealing chapters is "What kind of Unglued Am I?" The way Lysa explains it is "Emotions don't sit still. They are active - and they travel. I need to know where mine are taking me so I could understand why I sometimes came unglued." She created four categories that we can fall into:
- The Exploder who Shames Herself
- The Exploder who Blames Others
- The Stuffer who Builds Barriers
- The Stuffer who Collects Retaliation Rocks
Thankfully, Lysa explained she is all of the above...Bless her heart, that's how I felt when reading each category. She pushes her readers to start making "imperfect progress". For me, I try to be perfect all the time. Since we all know that is impossible, I often feel like a failure. I relished the idea of imperfect progress. One of the most important pieces in the solution is finding the quiet. For several reasons:
- In the quiet, we feel safe enough to humble ourselves
- God lifts us up to a more rational place
- Anxiety gives way to progress
- We acknowledge that our real enemy is not the other person
- I can rest assured God will use this conflict for good - no matter how it turns out
Mission understood, before I freak out find a quiet space...bathroom stall acceptable....where ever! Collect my thoughts as to not blow up or stuff.
Truly the explanation above is merely scratching the surface of what this book contains. I have highlighted and flagged the crap out of this book. Let's be very honest with ourselves, we all need work. Sometimes it's dig in deep and see where it takes us. Other times it's a tweak here and there. Regardless, of where you are at in life, I would say this book can speak to your heart. It will give you peace you are not alone or crazy. It will give you tools to manage your life.
This is the only book I read on vacation. The only one I needed to. Mission understood God. Thank you for finding me in my mess. Thank you for guiding me to the tools necessary. Thank you for whatever lies ahead. I have a feeling it's imperfect progress.
Link for the book below:
http://www.amazon.com/Unglued-Making-Choices-Midst-Emotions/dp/0310332796/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370110947&sr=8-1&keywords=unglued
