(466) After overcoming learning difficulties

When I was working with children whom I suspected with learning difficulties, I used to look out for symptoms. Now that I have no choice but to move on, I switched to feelings. If I sense wounds, hurts, fears or whatever that could be part of the aftermath of a traumatic battle within and without the person, then I look for parallels and patterns.

I am taking Elizabeth's advice in starting with these two thoughts that she picked out of my ramblings. Personally, my journey started with the Navigator's 2-7 Course. It took two years to complete. At the end of book 6, I knew there were skeletons in my locked closets. The key or keys were missing. The first key returned when my counselor saw a vision when she was praying for me. That unlocked one closet: traumas in the first year of school.

A person I had been seeing has had a bad experience with at least one counselor. So that path is out. That might be why she was willing to see me, I have absolutely no credentials except my own experience. Prior to a recent session, she came to a decision to live, just as she was, without any more thoughts of healing. Then I went to the conference. Out of the three people I talked to, one of them was very candid in telling me how she felt about her years of struggle. It was interesting, God is a very present source of help. In less than a month, I heard the same feelings expressed twice by two  very different people. It cannot be luck, it is ordained by God.

For the seeker I met in conference, I pointed out to her the five ways of drawing close to God. However, for my friend who believes she walks closely enough, I suggest going back to her childhood past time: copying pictures she loves by pencil. If not anything else, she would feel the therapy of drawing. Since she regularly struggles with emotional turmoil, the calming focus of sketching would bless her.

I pray that she will find sufficient strength in God to risk opening the Pandora Box. There is nothing worse than fear of fear itself. If we know in our hearts that God is bigger than all our insecurities, that God's love for us excludes all our fears, then one has nothing to lose by trusting him.