We did it, friends. It’s Friday, the election is finally over and now, we are standing here in just heaps and heaps of emotions. I’ve been haunted by sounds from the movie Titanic for weeks and months. This ship, called the U.S.A, it’s groaning. Rivets (emotions in our case) are popping out everywhere. But unlike the Titanic, we can turn this ship around – there is not an inevitable dooms day coming unless we the people let it come.

We are sweepers by nature and I know I have wanted this ship to just get tidy again. ASAP. Like yesterday. This feels a little (or a lot) unsafe depending on what article I read… and I like security, order and my favorite, control. And now I not only hear the groaning of the ship, I can feel it. It’s palatable – and there are rivets popping everywhere.

So that is our challenge, friends. The rivets are popping, emotions are bleeding into this world, the Bandaid is coming off and the underbelly of America is being exposed. That’s a pretty raw place to be and as American’s, it would behove us to tackle our own emotional health in order to help settle the tsunami we have found ourselves in.

I could write for hours, but if you are like me you have been reading far too many words and it’s time for next steps. Perhaps some silent time for reflection is the best first step, away from the bloodbath happening in the media and on social media. A detox. A cleanse. Some time to sit with Our Father and get really, really clear and honest about our own feelings first.

If you are anything like me, feelings aren’t always the easiest thing to get under and put words around. So here are 5 steps I like to use to get started when I am trying to find my words and restore my own emotional health. I hope they are helpful to you, too.

  1. What are you feeling right now? Name everything – get every ounce of your own pain bled out onto pages that are not for public consumption. Use colorful language and be as descriptive as you can about the feelings. God can handle whatever spills out, I promise!
  2. Who are angry with and why? Use actual names of people and I urge you to stop using labels and using the word “them.” Them is a broad brush being used to cast judgment on entire people groups and it is killing America. America is a WE the people – we have forgotten that we are all in this together.
  3. What did they steal from you? Get to the bottom of why are you angry at them? Did they steal your respect for them? Your happy ending? What you think is right? What didn’t you get that you wanted?
  4. Set down your pride. Assume you have nothing to prove and nothing to protect. Stop judging  against your own understanding and sit with God until you find the one thing we all need the most: humility.
  5. The hardest stepwipe the slate clean. Forgive everyone, even “them.” And if you can’t step forward with open arms and palms, cloaked in humility then maybe this is the place to stay and camp out and wrestle until you can. Let’s call it an adult time out until you can come back and play well with others.

In the days, weeks, months and years to come at this time in the history of our country, we WILL NOT heal as a Nation if we do not understand what the hurt is and is not. We have to walk towards the pain being exposed and not try to sweep it – wether that is our pain or someone else’s. And it starts with something completely in our own control – getting our own house and yard in order and showing up a little more emotionally healthy every day we have left on this side of the grass.

On a totally unrelated note, I snagged my mama for a week and we set up our dueling sewing machines to load up the store before we hit the holiday season. If you need a break today from the normal, I can’t think of anything less normal than a blog post from me (what, has it only been a year? ha!) and a trip over to Bagolitaville. Crimson Love tanks (with the hidden word over your heart on the inside) are back, there are some new Micro Messengers that meet the strict stadium requirements, lots of classic fringe, a sale section and a few sweets, like the ballerina bag.

It has been too long and I have missed you greatly. It has been my greatest honor and joy to connect with you today – thank you giving my words your precious time today.

All my love to you! xo

imagelr

microteal_close

bradyblackgreen_close

ballerinabag_sideback

greenclipboard_sale

rivets