Hopeless- March 31, 2012
May 8, 2012
Dear Sam,
How is it possible for me to have a conflicting relationship with absolutely everyone! I never noticed it before, but no matter what is going on, no one can understand what I'm talking about, and I can never get what they are saying. I wonder whether I have some kind of medical condition. This wears me out.
Hopeless
Dear Hopeless,
What a very isolated and depressing life you describe. The first thing you should do is talk to your doctor about what you are experiencing. Even if it is not originally medical, the stress will result in physical symptoms. Think about your early years. How did people in your home communicate? If there was a lot of conflict, it could be that you learned to relate through conflict. When you had opinions and needs, were you listened to? Were issues named and resolved? Much of this may have to do with what you learned and did not learn in your home. And that means that you can learn to communicate in a way that will be effective and satisfying. There is hope.
You will need help to unlearn and relearn, and that means finding a pastor or counsellor who can enable you to dig deep and find the source of this problem, a problem shared by more people than you know.
On your own, I would suggest that you read the Psalms from the Bible. Biblical characters were real people with real responses to circumstances in their lives. There were a lot of hopeless situations that ended up being resolved by faith in God, by obedience to his directives, and by stepping out of a comfort zone. Please don't believe in hopelessness, which may have been the ruling belief in your home. Surround yourself with people who can trust that you are able to change and develop. Lean on their support. If you can do this, you have already begun to break down that old pattern and to introduce hope into your life.
INSIDE THE ISSUE is authored thru Resurrection Lutheran Church, 250 Quarry Rd, Pembroke.
Sunday Worship at 10:30am. http://sites.advancedministry.com/ResurrectionLutheranChurch
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