"I've always liked the time before dawn because there's no one around to remind me who I'm supposed to be, so it's easier to remember who I am."

-Brian Andreas

Monday, February 25, 2008

applicant need not apply

I want so badly to write, but something is just completely blocking me. It's like I can't get the words to come out. They refuse.


I can literally feel a wall inside my chest and the words from my heart are trying so hard to jump over it, but they just can't make it. It's too high... and getting higher. I almost feel like the higher the wall gets, the less I can breath.


It's a slow and painful death not doing what you were created to do.


I don't know if I know exactly what I was created to do yet, but I know it involves a message I was created to share.


But this wall... everything is stuck behind this wall. How do I get over it? How do I tear it down? How do I even begin the process of chipping away at it?


I can't do it. I can't. I'm too tired, and I don't have the energy anymore. I used to want someone to chip at it for me. I thought it meant I was worth something if I was worth getting through the wall to get to. I realize my wall has allowed me to shut people out... most of which respond the same way... they don't respond at all. They give up. They walk away, and I build my wall higher.


But...


My family. I can't say the same for my family. They've never given up. I've given them plenty of reason to, but no matter how high I build that wall, they know I'm back there, and they refuse to leave me alone without ever being known.


They want to know me. Wow. They want to know me.


I'm starting to realize that I can't chip the wall down by myself... but I realize someone else can't do it for me, so what's the answer?


I think it's to meet in the middle. I think God wants to give me the strength to chip away from my side, and the someone elses strength to chip away from their side, and together we tear down that wall... by God's strength.


Lord, I don't want to hide behind my wall anymore... but I can't tear it down by myself... and I don't want someone to do it for me... so I just pray for people in my life who are willing to meet me half way.


..........................................

Hahaha... ok... so I started to write that last night, and even though there is total truth to it, I was mostly just feeling sorry for myself (there at the end) and didn't know how to reach out for help, so I figured if I could manipulate people through my writing, people would reach out to me.

What God has done in me since then is remninded me... He's got it. God's got it. God's got me. He's got me!

Wow. It all makes me smile and laugh and sing at the same time!

Me manipulating people is not trusting God. Me manipulating people is taking the pen from God's hand and writing my own story... with my own motives, my own intentions, and my own ending in sight. But that's just it... when I write my story, I like the beginning, as most of us do when we start to take control, but since it's me writing and not God, the ending is tragic.

I'm tired of having tragic endings due to selfish beginnings. And this is where I hand the pen back and say "God... please.... write my story!"

God is tearing down that wall. So I'm going to stop handing out applications for His position and allow Him to be exactly who He is... God.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Nice note, there. Isn't it funny how we spend a big part of our lives trying to figure out who/what we are, when the answer resides in who God is? Meaning, we need not worry too much about it. We are, because He is.

And about arriving at that roadblock? You aren't the only one.

http://nsteven.blogspot.com/2007/03/first-line.html

By the way, hello. I'm Nick.

Shelley said...

Whenever I get all closed in on myself, I have to quit looking down, quit looking around, and start looking up, because it is only through God that my salvation, my freedom comes. I love you, and want to know you more too sister!

Dan said...

That was pretty epic. I had one of those, "did I stumble on a suicidal blog... again?" But it turned out better.

Dan said...

oh yeah, I'm dan. niced to meet you.

Renata said...

YOU ARE WONDERFULLY AND BEAUTIFULLY MADE....... "I KNOW ALL THE HAIRS ON YOUR HEAD!!!" SAYS THE LORD!!!


Love you SIS!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

one brick at a time, your walls will soon all be gone. you will no longer have to guard your heart from yourself. you will be free. the healing never ends, it's a lifelong thing. we all have our own stuff, some more than others, but there is only one man in our lives who can take it all away, through it into the sea, and never speak of it again. HE is the one who will take away a single brick at a time. you will make it through, i believe in you! JJ- you're a beautiful woman of God, and you deserve to be cherished as one! p.s. -- your purpose in life is to share your story, because you can soften people's hearts and change their lives. serenade them, it will surely put a smile on their faces!

Anonymous said...

JJ,

I was speaking in Indy to a couple hundred church leaders and I brought the video from Soul Cravings where you tell your story and showed it. The two guys who were the leaders and sponsors of the conference drove me back to the airport and they told me, "the highlight of the conference was JJ's story".

You are making difference.

One of your big fans,

Dave

Snaggle Tooth said...

When a writing is blocked in writing.... The only way out of it is.... to write your way out of it!
Looks like that's what you did, (You ARE a writer, you know)!

Even if it took a continued tangent angle-