Wednesday, June 24, 2009

"The Silent Treatment"

Being a rather talkative and outgoing person myself , I just can't wrap my brain around the behavior I've encountered too often from onetime friends: the 'silent treatment'---you know, where you apparently cease to exist as far as that person is concerned...so, I decided to educate myself on the subject, and did a little research online:

The 'silent treatment' is employed by someone who is emotionally immature (after all, mature adults are at least willing to talk something out)...it is either an attempt by the 'perpetrator' to give themselves 'power' ( attempting to make the 'victim' feel smaller and insignificant) , or it's a mistaken attempt at self-preservation. Essentially, it is a form of mental abuse.

"It's wonderful when a stranger becomes a friend, but it's heartbreaking when a friend becomes a stranger."

"When we don't communicate with a friend, satan will fill in the details."

Monday, June 8, 2009

Whacked or Broken?

Interesting to see some brothers & sisters in Christ moving heavily into abundantly Charismatic stuff (before I go any further may I explain that I, too, am a Charismatic, believeing in the Gifts of The Spirit, speaking in tongues, etc.). Anyway, these Believers seem to be persuing manifestations of getting spiritually drunk, stoned or, as they describe it, "whacked". Now, back when alcohol was my favorite abused drug of choice, I persued getting plastered because I wanted to escape from pain I didn't know I had buried in my (unsaved) soul. I can't help but wonder if these brothers and sisters seek "whacked"-ness to experience more of God, or to unconsciously escape from the pain we as humans all encounter...just wondering.
Ironically, at the same time these good folks want to get spiritually 'blitzed', God has seemingly been transforming me into a spiritual empath--I have never felt the pain of people I know, saved & unsaved, as much as I have in the past couple of years. You name it--salvation, healing, rifts in the fabric of The Body of Christ--I find myself agonizing in prayer more passionately than I ever have before. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to get GENUINELY Holy Spirit 'whacked' as much as the next Charismatic....but, for some reason, I've been moved more into a season of being broken-hearted over broken people.
I just thought that was an interesting contrast....what say you?