tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97449014417154544.post7418960745305283932..comments2023-10-30T08:46:40.054-07:00Comments on The Exploration of Identity: On the Beast Inside. Sarah Lambsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771444013849557661noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97449014417154544.post-2729755810035605272014-08-10T07:39:24.965-07:002014-08-10T07:39:24.965-07:00Paul called it his thorn (2 Corinthians 12:7). But...Paul called it his thorn (2 Corinthians 12:7). But I think beast is rather a more descriptive term.<br /><br />The only thing I would add in terms of "not helpful" is for those people of faith who somehow think that all it should take to "get over it" is more faith and more prayers. That's also a recipe for that spiral of guilt and misery you point to, because then you feel terrible that you don't have enough faith, etc...<br /><br />Our loving Heavenly Father gave us the gospel and the power of the priesthood with their powers of healing, it is true. But it is also true that he gave us medical/social professionals and pharmaceuticals with THEIR powers of healing.<br /><br />Sometimes (perhaps most often) the best outcomes come from a combination of both (see Elder Oaks' Apr. 2010 priesthood session talk on "Healing the Sick"), and no one should feel ashamed for needing to access the professional help that is available - neither from their own psyche and especially not from others. (see cartoon #2 in the buzzfeed post)<br /><br />Elder Holland, I think, made a huge breakthrough for those of us who suffer from some form of mental illness in his talk from Oct 2013. But it deadens the impact if we who experience it aren't willing to talk about it, to share our experiences and struggles. <br /><br />And it falls flat if those who don't experience it don't make an effort to listen and to ask what kind of supports the person needs from us.<br /><br />And in that spirit, I applaud and thank you for sharing your experience. I applaud you for holding on and not giving up in the darkness of despair (see buzzfeed cartoon #18, esp b/c owls!). I thank you for sharing glimpses of your journey along the way. I apologize for my impatience at times. And I promise to be there for you in the ups and downs ahead.<br /><br />And I, too, am trying to reach a level of openness with my own struggles in the hope that others won't feel isolated in their pain. (see cartoon #12)<br /><br />Here's to healing together. Love you sis!Julinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10373331914121855263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97449014417154544.post-55822437094232624942014-08-05T16:15:08.871-07:002014-08-05T16:15:08.871-07:00Thank you.
This is, not surprisingly, a difficult...Thank you.<br /><br />This is, not surprisingly, a difficult subject to ever broach, much less discuss. I think you for your honesty and candor, and for your willingness to put this out there.<br /><br />The truth is, as I am sure you probably know, we all have a beast of some kind within us. Simply put, it is the "natural man," the one that is "an enemy to God." Though we are all (hopefully) trying to do better, to be better, we all have at least one element of the natural man that we struggle to conquer, to overcome. That one part of us that gets us again and again. That one part that, no matter how hard we try, seems to always be our downfall.<br /><br />And the reason that part is so hard to overcome is because, as you say, when we fall to it yet again, we are filled with self-loathing, shame, regret. Yes, we know we are better than that. Yes, we know that it is a road we should never even think to venture down because we know exactly where it will lead us. Yet, like the proverbial moth to a flame, we find ourselves treading the same ground, surrounded by the same darkness, finding it difficult to see the light because we feel unworthy to even look for it.<br /><br />I have my own beast. It may not be the same as yours, but as I read this post, I know it is of the same ilk, because my own beast has done exactly the same things. And even when I think I have successfully conquered it, it rears its ugly head yet again, and I am back in that terrible loop.<br /><br />Two phrases keep coming to mind, though, when I feel I might never break free of that loop. And please don't take them facetiously because, despite their source, these words are profound. First, "Never give up; never surrender." Second, "Constant vigilance." <br /><br />Yes, we may feel unworthy of the light and goodness that come from our Heavenly Father and our Savior. And when we do, we are like the dwarves at the end of The Last Battle, by C.S. Lewis, who are unable to see the glory about them because they doubt. However unworthy we feel, however unworthy we may be, God and Jesus Christ love us unconditionally. They will never deny us the light and goodness they have to offer- we just have to look, and it will come.<br /><br />If ever you want to talk, if ever you want to just commune in silence, nothing to say, just the presence of a loved one on the other end of the phone line sufficing, I am always here. And even if all you need is to be alone, know that I will always love you unconditionally. <br /><br />Thank you, my dear sister, for being brave.<br /><br />(And I'm sorry for the long comment- I guess I had my own set of pent-up feelings to let out... :)Peeserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15787937420001659200noreply@blogger.com