Psalm 16: 8 (passion translation) Because You are close and always available, my confidence will never be shaken, for I experience your wrap-around presence every moment.

Our third moving truck to Pa was finally loaded. My husband and I stood in the drive staring at the reality of the moment. We would close on our Florida home in just minutes and head north. 

This load was larger than the previous two. We had rented a 16’ moving truck and trailer in order to have our Land Rover in tow. We were now looking at a 40’ rig that we would drive 1200 miles.

As I reflected on the driving force of this load, I focused on a driving force within me. I knew I could at this moment give into fear or I could choose love. Love grounds us in relationship. Fear isolates us. I prayed.

There were several times throughout the trip we were aware of God’s protection. The weight of our load and bumper to bumper traffic in Atlanta, GA provided many opportunities to chose love.

There are always the people who desperately need to get ahead and if passing on the right side of you while you are over taking a vehicle, is needed they will do what benefits them.

 Lanny signaled and began to yield to the right. In a split second a small blue car immerged in front of us from our right. Lanny saw him at the last minute and swerved in an attempt to avoid hitting him. We were all safe. We smiled knowing God is our great protector and the protector of all those in our path.

What drives us to respond the way we do? Do we respond in fear or love? Do we see others through the cross of Jesus or obstacles to be run over or avoided?

Staying grounded in appreciation and joy allows our brains to remain relational. A relational brain is a connected brain. As we connect relationally, we are motivated to love unconditionally.

I attend a Journey Group online each week through Deeper Walk International. The module we are covering is titled Healing Hearts. Many of us have lived in broken homes, broken relationships and had a wrong perception of God. This brokenness brings pain to our lives. Since none of us enjoy pain we are often motivated by fear to avoid it.

 Amy Brown says, “What does unprocessed pain look like? We often see the results of unprocessed pain in the things we do to avoid facing it. These might be any of the following (or your own personal favorites might be different)

• Defending
• Blaming
• Staying busy
• Controlling
• Enabling others
• Walking on eggshells
• Withdrawing
• Perfectionism
• Analysis/logic
• Electronic/social media
• Television
• Alcohol and drugs
• Unhealthy sexual activity
• Workaholism
• Thrill seeking
• Food

She states, “There is a reason the bible says, “Do not fear” 365 times. Once we learn to process pain successfully, we won’t fear it, and our lives expand with possibilities-no more avoided conversations, landmines in relationships, or unexplored dreams.”

How many of us fear pain? We long to have it go away. Let’s face it none of us wake up each morning and say, “Lord bring on the pain.” How many of us wake up and subconsciously retreat to one or more of the pain avoiders that Amy listed? Are we driven out of fear or are we centered in God’s love?

Psalm 118:15 I called on the Lord in my distress, The Lord answered me and set me on a brood place.

As we journeyed north, I was faced with many situations in which I could run and isolate in fear or connect with God through gratitude. As I look over the list of, results of unprocessed pain, I am aware that twelve out of the sixteen have at one time in my life been my weapon in avoiding pain.

 Defending and withdrawing have been my pain avoiders of chose.  As I embrace pain as an indicator for healing and connect to Jesus, I am freed from the pseudo relief of these avoiders.                       

Are we able to stay connected to God in our pain or do we fear what we cannot control? Which of the 16 pain avoiders are you most tempted to rely on?