I'm sure you all have seen this before where someone is walking by and accidentally steps on someone else's toe and the one who was stepped on totally loses their mind. The person yells and cusses and cries and screams. And you, watching in on this debacle are thinking in your head... okay 🤔. Ummm, did I miss something 🧐? Wasn't that just a two year old that stepped on that grown man's toe?
That's what I call an exaggerated response, y'all.
Ok, so now my medical cap is coming on 👩🏾⚕️. This immediately made me think of an anaphylactic reactions.
So in a nutshell what happens with this process is:
Someone has an exposure to something in the environment- pollen, latex, medication, a food group, etc.
The body initially has no visible reaction to the exposure...
Internally the body starts to make antibodies (or a blood marker that is specific to that exposure) and waits...
Now on the subsequent exposure, the body has an exaggerated response since the antibodies were sitting and waiting in anticipation for the exposure to happen again
The result is this— from the movie Hitch. Lol 😂
The body sees the exposure as a foreign invader, as an intruder, as something not invited or welcome that is set to cause trouble. To the body creates a reaction, a release of a specific cell type, that causes face swelling, throat and tongue swelling, difficulty breathing—the whole works, y'all. But, unbeknownst to the body, the efforts it puts forth to counteract the foreign invader actually ends up being detrimental to the body— to self.
Now let's apply this same analogy to opening up a new business, a romantic relationship, work relationships, attending university, familial relationships.
When things start going awry, when you have to file for bankruptcy because the business flopped, when the romantic relationship ends abruptly, when your work colleagues bring you all types of hell and push back, when you lose your scholarship and have to leave the university, when you have experienced brokenness within the four walls of what is suppose to be your safe place (in the family). Well the next step to take it protect self. Build walls to prevent the foreign invader from entering in a second time around. And make the walls, TALL,THICK, impermeable!
But ,guess what this also does? Well it doesn't allow you to get out to get sunlight. It doesn't allow you to go buy food or water when it runs out. Because not only did you lock the chance of potential hurt out, but it also locked you in.
What God has been showing me in my very own life is my attempts to build walls of protection are futile. I literally picture someone sweating, just working tirelessly to build a HUGE wall of defense and at the end of their laborious labor the fence is literally so short that a toddler could just walk right over it. 😂
Think about it y'all. That is no defense at all!
Our job is not to protect ourselves. Our job is to rest in the omnipotent, matchless, protection of a Loving Father.
He is literally like 24/7 security with a swole body guard, with a snipper patrolling around, with a fighter jet watching overhead from a bird's eye view.
We are not to use our energy focusing on how not to experience hurt or failure again or just always lurking around waiting — looking straight suspect— anticipating the next heartbreak.
We have to spend our energy sitting with and planning out with Jesus how we are suppose to walk out in purpose to change destinies and generations, so people can experience His true joy and freedom.
Your efforts to protect is like anaphylaxis; it is so exaggerated and ineffective it just kills you. God's efforts are spot on perfect 👌🏾. His efforts get the job done, efficiently, with snipper focus. God WILL protect you!
Psalm 18:2
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Rest, sis! And let God work!
XOXO,
Love,
Jenn
Comment below and do share your stories, what you gleaned from this or whatever else you want to share.
Pass this on to anyone who you think it will bless.
Ladies (and gents) please watch this awesome message by Sarah Jakes Roberts. It relates so well to what God wanted me to share with you all today. Plus she is a mighty woman of God and is effective in The Kingdom of God.
Thank you for taking time to write this truth! It’s so true and made me think of what happens when we let the offense and unforgiveness fester over time instead of healing and moving forward. A sermon I listened to recently said this, ”Yes they stabbed you but if you don’t forgive them you are going to bleed on those who never cut you” 🤯🤯🤯. So yes I totally concur! Self protection is a mess and doesn’t help a bit!