What is Entombment?

June 4, 2015 Theresa M. Williams Food For Thought, Inspirational emotion, entombment, prayer, shepherd

I wrote a blog post back in April 2015 entitled “What is Entombing Me?” about Jesus and Lazarus and their being in a tomb. It talked about how the Father called Jesus forth from His tomb. I also described how I underwent a meditation about pretending I was Lazarus in a tomb where it was cold and damp. As Jesus called to Lazarus ‘come out,’ so we can ask His help to come out of our tombs. When we meditate on these scriptures about Jesus and Lazarus, I hope we can start to see how all of the wounds and baggage that we carry can entomb us and hold us back from living as Jesus wants us to, to be free of what entombs us.

Entombment means being bound up, confined by, enslaved by, under duress, or emotionally imprisoned by something. It is being overwhelmed by it to the point that it seriously limits us in our ability to feel joy, interact with others, and even go about our daily routine. Depression is one kind of entombment, but so is unresolved anger (whether at God or others).

What do we do about it? Once we recognize this state of entombment in ourselves:
First of all, we pray. We ask for wisdom and enlightenment to see the situation for what it truly is. Then we pray for guidance on how to handle it. One of the options is to seek out a reputable source of help, whether it is a Christian counselor, a spiritual director or mentor, or—last but not least—the Bible. Of utmost importance, particularly when we feel afflicted, is to talk to God even more often than we already do. If you don’t talk to God (or pray), then it’s a good time to start. God is available 24/7 (all the time), you won’t get a busy signal, and He has a toll-free number!

The Bible has many passages that are useful for meditation. One of my favorites is Psalm 23: “The Lord is My Shepherd. I shall not want.” Please see my meditations on this Psalm from February 2015. You can find it fairly quickly if you go to the right sidebar and scroll down until you see “Older Posts” and select the month. NOTE: You may find more entombment posts under April 2015.

Another good one is Psalm 139 taken from the New Revised Standard Version. It has a very intimate account of God’s nearness:

13 For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.

I may do a separate post in the future with a list of Bible verses for help with entombment.

Death

April 26, 2015May 20, 2015 Theresa M. Williams Food For Thought emotion, grief, mystery

Death stinks, at least for those of us left behind.

This weekend we attended our friend Don’s funeral, who died at home of cancer this past Monday. It was heart wrenching to see a son so sad and laden with grief, his widow in shock. What were their last words to each other? Was there much dialogue at all? Don told his family that he was dying just a few days prior, but how did he know the end was so near?

There are so many questions and so few answers. Death is such a mystery. Yet, we know that God will be with Don’s family in their shock, confusion, and grief. How do we know? Because Jesus told us that He would be with us always (Matthew 28:20). In the midst of all the pain and sadness, that’s perhaps the most comforting part—that He’ll be there with us, no matter what.

Making Good Decisions

April 22, 2015May 20, 2015 Theresa M. Williams Food For Thought emotion, prayer

Decision making, at times, can be tough. Sometimes we think the decision is easy, but is it really? If it’s something that will affect us significantly—for instance a job change or getting married–it would be a good idea to not be too hasty, not let our emotions decide for us.

Not too long ago–after having a good job interview and what seemed like a good fit–I sat down and made a paper list. I labelled one side pros and the other cons. After exploring both sides thoroughly, it was obvious to me that the cons outweighed the pros. Also, I decided that I probably couldn’t live with some of the cons I listed. Now, it turns out that I wasn’t even offered the job. But, had I accepted it without thinking it through by making an emotional decision, I most likely would have regretted it and had to look for something else.

Some questions that might be helpful to consider in our decisions are:

– How do the individual elements/issues affect my values, my lifestyle? Are they in line or not?

– What are my priorities?

– How will this decision affect my family, my health, my future?

So, for these bigger decisions that can significantly affect us as well as those we love, making a list might be a wise choice. I would also strongly encourage prayer and involving the Holy Spirit in those decisions. It can help prevent making a bad decision that we’ll regret later.

Are men who weep sissies?

January 6, 2015May 20, 2015 Theresa M. Williams Food For Thought emotion

Good question and something to think about. Now, it’s one thing if a man weeps because of immaturity and to whine. It’s quite another to show emotion because he loves someone and is genuinely sad. Even Jesus wept at the death of his friend Lazarus (see John 11:35). Now, don’t tell me grown men shouldn’t cry! I’ll challenge you and say “If it’s good enough for Jesus—and he was a grown man–it’s good enough for you, too!” And guess what? An even better reason to allow that emotion to come out is that crying is good for your health. Tears have healing properties. It’s very cleansing to have a good cry. It’s good for your blood pressure and emotional health. So, when you feel sad or upset and need an outlet, go ahead and cry. If the moment isn’t a good time to cry, find a restroom or another appropriate place or wait until later, but do give it a try! You’ll feel better in the long run.