My family calls me “the Drama Queen.” My life seems to be filled with monster problems—and I do tend to spew these unsolvable resentments, fears, and dramatic (potential) tragedies my life seems filled with. Can you talk about how Christians can get over this “awfulizing”?
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed.”James 5:16THE MESSAGE
I have always felt like I have an assignment to fight the raging fire-breathing dragons of life wherever I am—at home and school, in marriage and business.Imust be the one to fight other people’s dragons as well because I’ve had so many dragons to fight in my own life.
When I became a Christian I was told that it was God’s job to kill the dragons. I was to submit my whole life to him and learn how to listen to him, love his people and do his will. I might be able to help people face the deep problems of their lives, but only God could actually give each person the courage to face his or her own problems. I was to confessmy ownsins as soon as I could after I saw them, and tend to my own dragons before I could be effective in reaching out to others.
And that would work for a while, but then apparently out of nowhere my life would be filled with the raging dragons of over-commitment, defensive pride, angry blaming, unkept promises to do or be something, and isolation and loneliness.
I have a dear Christian friend who used to be as frantic and compulsive as I. But now she looks peaceful and serene—even though she still lives a busy life and helps many others. Finally I asked her, “As busy as you are, how do you manage to be so serene and peaceful? You used to tell me your inner life felt like it was filled with people-eating dragons.”
“Well, one day I’d had enough of the chaotic overload, and,” she looked very thoughtful and then said simply, “I just quit feeding the lizards.”
“What do you mean; you just quit feeding the lizards?”
“Well, all I know is that one day I saw something shocking: when I was moaning and recounting the small resentments, criticisms, and gossip—these small “lizards” always developed into the raging dragons that were “killing” me. But one day I shared my dragons, confessed them to my small group of Christian friends. And that confessional sharing made it embarrassing for me to continue nursing and dwelling on the small irritations of over commitment, jealousy and resentment in my life. And after a few months of not feeding those small lizards, there simply weren’t any large size dragons left to battle. And when a new batch of lizards crops up I just try to starve them by not giving them any air time at home, and by sharing them with spiritual friends.”
“What a concept!” I said.I was floored. “Do you mean that if I don’t want full-grown monster dragons to battle, I can begin to deal with the small “lizard” problems that grow up to become life’s monster dragons?”
She smiled with a twinkle in her eye, and said, “That’s the way it works for me!”
Thank you, Lord that we can confess, make amends, talk about problems with a trusted friend sooner, and not feed the small lizards that can become the terrifying dragons that devour lives of loving. Amen.
