How Do I Process This?

Feeling confused, frustrated, mad, anxious, sad, afraid? Regardless of how much or how little
you know about what is happening around us, you are certainly aware of what is happening in
your own life. It’s crazy town! Navigating all of the emotions you may be experiencing can make
you feel tossed back and forth like a boat without a motor – or even oars.
I have found myself so saddened at the division that is happening in our nation. That sadness
has turned into anger at those who I perceive to have created the horrible circumstances in our
country.

How am I supposed to process and behave during uncertain times? What do I do about all of
the unsure, unknown, and unwanted things around me?

To start, I need to not to let my emotions call all the shots.

It’s important to know that we are made up of 3 parts. They are all very different; all very
important:
1. Our body
2. Our soul (mind, will, emotions)
3. Our spirit

Our body will process physical danger: fight or flight. If we’re not being physically attacked, we
can move on to the role of our soul. The soul is where we take information into our mind and
begin processing. Sometimes this process is intellectual; but often, it is emotional. Lastly, we
access our will to determine what we will do next.

But wait, what about our spirit? If we are Christ followers, we have God’s Holy Spirit living
alongside ours. We have direct access to the smartest, calmest, bravest, most compassionate
person ever! God is all knowing, all powerful, and everywhere. Perhaps we should begin there –
within our spirit.

When life seems out of control, we can respond better by asking God’s Holy Spirit to replace
our emotions with faith. Reliance on the higher power and authority of God is where we need
to be. It is actually where God wants us – completely and utterly dependent on Him.
He also promises us wisdom. In James 1:5-8, we are promised, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he
should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault”.

In recent days, as I navigate and process, I have asked God for wisdom. He has reminded me to
be still, breathe deeply and remember what I know to be true. He has reminded me how much
He loves the people on this earth, even the ones who are behaving badly. He reminded me that
I am not their judge. He reminded me that I need to realize the real enemy here is Satan. The

king of lies and hater of mankind is at work stirring up havoc, confusion, division and hatred
amongst us all.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. It hurts to even write these words because I see and feel so little
peace right now. I can do nothing better than to model the example of my Savior and invite His
peace into my body, soul and spirit. Then, I can spread that peace, by my thoughts, words and
actions, to others who are as undeserving as I am.

So, how do I process this current turmoil? With a great deal of prayer, perspective and peace –
never forgetting who I am and to Whom I am utterly dependent.

I encourage you to join a community of Christ followers to pray and process together and to
encourage and comfort one another. If you need help finding such a community, email me.

Sylvia Gaston
Connection and Development Pastor

The Shape Of Your Gut

Whenever I take a moment and evaluate my style of leadership, or try to determine how I make decisions, I quickly realize that I am a gut-led leader. Some people make decisions with their head. They are rational and more thorough in thought. Some people make decisions with their heart, following the leaning of their compassion or emotion. Some of us are more gut oriented, meaning we allow our gut instincts to help direct that decision rather than our head or heart.

When I first learned this, I was freaked out, because these decisions are not housed in rationale or compassion, but in instincts. It made me wonder, what’s the quality of my gut?

Walking around a flowing river, I always notice the smooth shapes of the rocks. River rocks are unique because of their proximity to the river. The river has determined their shape. This is my hope for my gut. My hope for my gut is that it would be shaped by proximity to my Jesus. This shaping of where our choices are made can be had of your heart and mind as well, and we should be shaping all three.

Here are a few ways to stay in the river of God’s influence and presence. This way, we are easily identified as believers, we are filtering our world view from a heavenly perspective, and we are consistently developing the qualities that help bring other hearts, minds and guts into the Kingdom.
 

• Consistent time. I thought about just writing the singular word ‘time’, but we all know that we can start something in January and be done with that new idea by February. Time is needed, yes, but consistent time is actually more likely to smooth away the parts of us that are most opposed to God’s guidance. Do you spend consistent time with Jesus? Five minutes, every day? If you start, with a consistent 5 minutes every day, in the river, you will begin to feel a shift of focus.
• Guard your plate! As a kid, my sisters and I used to try to steal each other's fries when they were not looking, so we would guard our plates! I feel this same way when it comes to what information I allow to sit in my spirit. I am watchful of what I consume in media and how much I dwell in areas that are contrary to how God would have me think about myself or others. This simple act of consecration is not always an easy one. A lot of things that are incredibly popular, and even fun or entertaining, are not actually beneficial for having the right-shaped gut, heart or mind.
• Solid biblical foundations. This idea is actually connected to consistent time. We build a solid biblical foundation by reading, studying and memorizing scripture on a regular basis. This helps us know the character and nature of God. We get the best image of Jesus, whom we are trying to look and sound like. We begin to know His promises, and the way the Holy Spirit operates within us today.

When we’re in a place of needing to make a big decision, is our ability to make that choice marked by our relationship with Jesus? Or do we take our cues, parenting styles, understanding of justice, dating relationships, and how to do our jobs, from the people and media around us?

Let the shape of our guts, our hearts and our minds be easily identified as ones that are shaped by time with God!

Candace Cortez
Executive Pastor