Sunday Sermonette – The Angry Cardinal.

Many mornings, while washing the breakfast dishes, I’m greeted by feathery friends flying around my back door. They often see themselves in the reflective sun film on the door, and when they do, they think they’ve seen a feathery enemy. And thus, the fight begins. This little cardinal was partially vicious one morning, tapping at himself in the mirrored service, clawing at an adversary, not realizing it was him.

Do you do the same thing? Clawing away at your inner self, heaping self-criticism and self-loathing on yourself, perhaps not realizing you’re doing it? Do you think you are unworthy of all that life has to offer? You’ll be happy to know that this feeling doesn’t happen overnight. It’s triggered by many factors: past hurts dealing with family or friends, false expeditions, and your beliefs, doctrines, cultures, and traditions.

Inner conflict is one of the most mentally exhausting human burdens and can ravish even the calmest of hearts. It can prevent you from making important decisions, taking risks, connecting with others, and achieving goals. This feeling of inner conflict frequently translates into fear and anger, disgust, confusion and loneliness. It can also lead to indulgent behaviors—drugs, liquor, and looking for love in all the wrong places.

However, when you decide to deal with your inner conflict, only then will the healing process begin. Even if you occasionally look back into the mirror of self-loathing with vicious claws, don’t consider that a loss.

Let that image push you forward, looking for viable channels to disperse the feelings within you. Remember that you acknowledged your problem, to begin with. And that’s a WIN! Another win is asking God to help you as you enter the healing process.

Ponder this and go forth. (Originally published January 22, 2023. )