Comments on: Holes in the Soul

By: Bob Brague

Bob Brague — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:42:52 +0000

Michael, the sentence that jumped out at me from your post was this: “I could not pull myself out.”

Exactly.

That’s the difference between pigs and sheep, according to one sermon I heard many years ago. Pigs love mud, don’t want to be pulled out, and will squeal if anyone tries. Sheep, on the other hand, hate mud, want desperately to get out, and cry to the shepherd for help. I think the sermon was about sin, but you understand what I’m trying to say (not that potholes of the soul are sin).

I think it’s only when we stop trying to “pull ourselves out” of various situations (because we realize we can’t) and immediately call on our Shepherd to rescue us that any spiritual progress begins to occur. I also agree with Carolyn about Satan’s part in our misery (used by God, of course, to bring about our greater good).

Great post, by the way.

By: Ali

Ali — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 19:14:33 +0000

Great response Lynne. Thanks.

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:49:21 +0000

IMONK: For me, the ‘dark potholes’ are placed in front of us by the father of lies. He is the accuser. But we are so lifted up in our own minds….we insist all thoughts are our own. But scripture says Satan ‘is the accuser of the brethren.’ God never accuses. When we roll this ‘lie’ around in our thinker…it darkens the eye…and we step into the ‘pothole.’ And he laughs and laughs at our misery. I have learned to NEVER believe a thought in my mind that accuses another. The thoughts are lies….and they are not my own.

By the way…I still have my psych textbooks from college. I even accepted sample textbooks the instructor sometimes gave away. I love to consider the inner workings of the mind.

By: Rob Lofland

Rob Lofland — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:05:17 +0000

These holes of anger and depression and resentment and on and on are a couple of things to me.
They are the places in my soul where I look into the abyss and often see God looking back.
Places of utter helplessness on my part or faking it.
Also, and I believe others have touched on this, these are the places where I connect with music, art and literature.
Where some other holey soul (sorry couldn’t resist) has expressed the inexpressible for me and I see or hear and know that I am not alone. It makes me ache.

By: Myrddin

Myrddin — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:40:51 +0000

I've been gleaning a lot from reality therapy lately - informal but no less helpful in dealing with the potholes and tunnels; or, less attractively, the pus pockets and boils of human psyche.

By: willoh

willoh — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:57:58 +0000

“I wanted to make a list of things I was taught as a child were wrong. Anyone raised Independant Fundemental will enjoy.”
I lovingly ask, isn’t that list a bit Cultish? Just a bit? It is extra biblical.
I would like to embrace #14 however, but no.

By: willoh

willoh — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:57:43 +0000

If you were a secular, worldly type, it would be time to get a tattoo pierce something and start riding a Harley. Seen it many times.
There seems to be in fundamental Evangelical circles an attitude that we are all happy clappy all the time. Put on your plastic smile and come to church to share how “the Lord is a blessin’ and a blessin’.” In the words of Paul. DUNG.
The truth of our walk toward Jesus is that we have been promised trials and tribulations, and we are to get to the point where we thank God for them. Sick, right? The world says so.
Somehow the faith developed into something I can only call a cult, as it added to Scripture and sold a way of life quite divergent form biblical reality. There was great doctrine in the mix, but it was adulterated by addition and attitude.
Should we be upset by dark times when the invitation is,”Pick up your Cross”? Are we less valuable than gold which must go through the crucible? Are we not taught that through are many trials we learn perseverance?
Why then would the pothole surprise us on the road to sanctification and fruition? Because we were not taught this. It is not a good sale from the pulpit. Will people follow a pastor who cries in thanks for his pain from the pulpit? No they want the liar who claims to have overcome all the struggles of life. To claim this is to lie.
Life is joyous, at times but not aways. We call the place where there is always joy Heaven.
Until then, hang in there, and please avoid the tattoo, but if not, know you will still be loved.
Would we really cry out in prayer for insight if the road were smooth?

By: austin

austin — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:42:08 +0000

IMonk,

I wanted to make a list of things I was taught as a child were wrong. Anyone raised Independant Fundemental will enjoy.

1. having a order of service
2. women wearing pants
3. canned music
4. the Baptist Hymnal (it had written prayers)
5. Responsive readings
6. mixed swimming w/ non family members of the opposite sex
7. dancing
8. couple skating
9. wearing shorts
10. swimming with your shirt off
11. any music that wasn’t gospel, except old country music
12. interracial dating and marriage (a biggie)
13. going to six flags (lake winnie was okay)
14. VBS puppet shows

Now all of these weren’t taught to me by my parents. They had more sense than most, but these are things I heard preached against growing up.

By: austin

austin — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:33:17 +0000

IMonk,

Good writing and very true. I can see the same sort of thinking in myself. And I agree that we care about and form positions on things and invest great emotional energies into positions that God just isn’t that concerned about.

But that said, being a father of two boys, I understand your ear piercing cringing. I know God looks at the heart and that cultures around the world are different, but there just seems to be something in us that says “I know that sort of thing can keep my children from being accepted in certain situations. I mean, I get your point, but I don’t want to listen to a preacher with a nose ring, big black hoops in his ears, or a giant tatoo on his neck. And I don’t think that makes me judgmental. It’s the old argument I know as a fundie you have heard, but there just seems to be something of a rebelious spirit about it all. It’s like those folks are saying “hey look at me, I want to be different so bad, your rules on society don’t apply to me” Not very humble really. But neither is criticizing folks motes when we have our own beams.

But I get your point. It’s the same battle I fought for years on women wearing pants in church. I was raised being taught that it was wrong. That only liberals did it. The folks who taught me that were not exactly wrong they were just acting in fear. It was the more liberal churches where it was happening first, but they were missing the point. Pants were just a sympton (a coincedince really) not the problem.

I felt much release when I finally let go of that misplaced conviction. If I used to go in a church and a women had on pants it would be distracting to a point where I could not focus on worhsip. There was something “sick” in a way about that. I’m glad I don’t have that issue anymore.

By: Dave R

Dave R — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:50:16 +0000

This reminds me of something a counselor said while I was working through the effects of a divorce. She described the hurt as a series of wounds or boils that keep coming to the surface. Each one needs to be broke open, drained, and allowed to heal. I got this mental picture of the open sores my diabetic grandmother had on her legs. Immediately after the divorce there were whole parts of me that were open and bleeding. As time goes on the boils appear and burst open less and less frequently, so that now they often catch me by surprise.

The analogy does not work perfectly, for as Michael said there are holes (or sores) that do not heal and will always be there, and the best we can do this side of eternity is be aware of and guard against bumping or falling into them.

I have two metaphors in a sentence…do I hear three? Going once…