IT'S MY PARTY & I'LL CRY IF I WANT TO!

Therapeutic. Really? Whoever said crying can be good for you has obviously not encountered one of MY episodes. If you’ve been blessed to be around me during one of my hissy fits, then I apologize and you are exempt from reading the next two paragraphs. (You’ve already lived through this and once is definitely enough.) For everyone else, here’s a hint of what this scenario looks like (from a safe distance):

PHASE 1: I first realize that I am about to spontaneously burst into tears, and I momentarily loose my voice. This is probably a good thing, except that it causes me to have a terribly sore throat. Eventually, I am able to swallow the knot in my neck that was causing me to be a mute and gain back some volume. Not such a good thing. This pushes me into PHASE 2. I then loose my ability to gauge my own volume so I begin shouting everything I say as if I were in a crowded nightclub. Telling me that you right next to me and can hear me just fine will only fuel the fire; avoid that conversation if at all possible. Phase 2 is sometimes followed by and other times combined with (even worse!) PHASE 3. I go into anxiety driven, panic mode and begin to stutter and form words that really don’t exist. (SIDEBAR: This is the phase that usually freaks my hubby out the most. It’s bad enough that I’m yelling, but now I’m speaking in tongues and he can’t even figure out what I’m saying or what his polite, safe response should be. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The man is a saint for putting up with me.)

So that’s what it sounds like. What does it look like? Oh, I’m so glad you asked. It’s really rather attractive. As a matter of fact it’s so pretty that if you’re single lady trying to catch the eye of that someone special, pay close attention, this should definitely do the trick. My cheeks get all patchy like a baby with a bad rash, my eyes swell shut like I’ve just been hit with two baseballs, my nose runs like a kindergartner at recess in 40 degree whether, my hands shake as if I’ve just downed three or four redbulls, and my head throbs so loudly that I’m sure a helicopter is about to land in my front yard. How’s that for a pretty visual? Are you getting the full spectrum on this just yet?

So you tell me, what could possibly be therapeutic about all that mess? The follow up alone requires either a day or two of seclusion OR dark sunglasses, a baseball hat, heavy duty concealer, a bag of frozen peas, Sudafed, and half a dozen Advil just to clean it all up. So really, what good comes out of it? What could all of that ranting and raving possibly do for me that wouldn’t be better served by bottling it up and not letting things bother me in the first place?

Even though it’s not what I always want to hear, the answer to that question would be TONS. The problem with bottling up all your problems and issues is that there is only so much room in a bottle. Eventually, if you keep trying to pour more stuff into it is going to spill over. Worse yet, once you shake up or add pressure to an already full bottle, it’s likely going to explode!

The real problem we face is that our “bottles” aren’t endless and that at the rate we keep adding our problems into them they fill up fast. But the good news is there is a solution. God, in His brilliant design, has created our “bottles” with built-in “vent holes.” You can let you problems out of the bottle a little at a time so that there is always room enough for what is coming next. Crying isn’t a sign of weakness. It actually signifies strength and an instinct to survive. Crying is God’s way of allowing us to vent. As unattractive and painful as crying might be, it really does serve a purpose and help keep us healthy.

So today my prayer for you is that you poke a few holes in your bottle. Let out some of what you’ve been storing up. Cry, scream, or shout if you need to. It will only hurt for a little while, and in a couple of days your stuffy nose and the swelling in your face will go back to normal. Once you’ve emptied out your bottle a bit, have a chat with God about it. I’m sure if you listen with your heart, you’ll learn that He has a lot of solutions for a lot of your problems. He’s been waiting patiently for you to bring Him those problems for a long time. Truth is, He is the only one with an endless bottle and He wants you to put your problems in His bottle. Remember Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Hmmm...releasing me from my worries; now that is truly something to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!