Denial 4 - Problems as a pathway to progress

Houston, we have a problem

I was thinking yesterday about how much preparation goes into a rocket launch. Most of us only pay attention to the "10, 9, 8, 7 ... liftoff", and, after making sure the thing got up into the air, we walk away proud of the event - like we had anything to do with it.

The truth is, it takes months, even years of preparation for the launch. Then after "liftoff" and the crowds have left, the real purpose for the launch only starts to take place.  It could be for scientific study, satelite repair, or a race to another planet - it certainly isn't just for the half hour crowd down in Cape Canaveral.

At any point during the final checks during the countdown, decisions have to be made. And even if it will disappoint the crowd, if there is a known problem that would effect the mission, the launch could be called off before liftoff.

Problems as a pathway

I've told you already that I suffer with depression, but I am also an introvert.  When problems arise, this could be the very best or worst combination.  Sometimes, when things go wrong - and in this world, things will go wrong - I get so consumed by the problem I become socially paralyzed. Other times, I become so aware of the environment, I become an expert problem solver.

I never understood how people could just "let it go!". Although I would love the bliss that comes with ignorance, pretending that a problem does not exist almost always comes back to bite me. So, I became that negative (depression) anti-social (introvert) who is just a know-it-all (problem solver).  What I provide in that sentence is how I come off, in parenthesis is who I really am.

But just like the crowd at the launch, most people I know simply want the wow effect. They don't want to be bothered with what goes on behind the scenes, but if something is not to their liking, they have something to say - often ignoring the experience of the ones they are "correcting".

The moon landing hoax

You've probably heard conspiracy theories of the moon landing being a hoax.  Reaching that rock in the night sky may be too much for people to believe, and knowledge about the technical achievements to make it happen may be too complex for people to understand. The same may be said of your own success - whether personal, business, or spirituality.

This cynical attitude seems to have created a new level of hoax.  We go to work pretending we've got nothing to learn.  We go to church pretending we are holier than our pew-mates. We go home and tell our wives they are the most beautiful woman we've seen. We carry a pack of gum so our breath is minty fresh.

We put on a mask to hide our problems from others, from God, and try to convince ourselves that "it's all good!" But we steal the ideas of our coworkers and sell it as our own. We gossip with other Christians about what the guy at the end of the pew was wearing. We hide our browsing history from our spouse. And the minty fresh gum did nothing for those nicotine stains on our fingers.

A pathway to progress

Faking it til you make it simply makes you me fake. Pretending I don't have a ___________ problem doesn't help me overcome it. And no matter how good of a guitar player I was in high school, without my axe to hide behind at parties, the fact that I was ridiculously uncomfortable and shy was all too evident to others.

So I try my best to overcome, then I try my best to hide. What if I could really face my hurts, my bad habits, and my neurotic hang-ups, and with the help of a "sponsor", "mentor", or higher power" - what if I could actually grow, progress, succeed over my character defects?

King David wrote in Psalm 107:13-14 about people who "cried to the Lord in their troubles, and He rescued them!" It says, "He led them from their darkness and shadow of death and snapped their chains."  What would happen if I actually looked at my problems as a pathway to progress by asking God to rescue me?!?

Update:

Since starting this blog just 5 days ago, and recommitting my life to the Celebrate Recovery Biblical principles things have changed dramatically. Besides replacing some bad habits at home with writing this blog and really looking at my issues, I haven't really put too much effort into changing my environment. 

However, this is exactly what God has asked us to do - in our weakness, He is our strength, after all! Those external problems that I've been experiencing have either totally disappeared, or my response is in wonder-full peace. Those things that had caught my eye or ear don't seem especially interesting anymore. It could be because "The Walking Dead" is between seasons, or it could be because God is really working His power and grace in my situation again!