*I have permission to share this story from my daughter*
A few years ago we were homeschooling and during math my daughter became angry. There were some yelling and a lot of tears (both from her and myself).
I was just starting graduate school to become a therapist and thankfully I was able to use some tools I had learned in class to calm us so we could talk.
This particular daughter is an introvert and prefers to communicate through written word and drawing. I asked her to draw a picture to let me know what she was feeling.
Pictured here is what she drew.
Notice how the two large faces are “sad” and “mad”. But the one of most significance is the small face which reads “not smart”.
As soon as I saw her picture, my momma heart melted. All the yelling and crying wasn’t fueled by anger….she was wrestling with the lie that said she was dumb.
This was a tipping point in our relationship but I also learned a valuable lesson that day.
What appears to be the problem is rarely the problem.
On a personal note, I have felt a bit depressed and anxious lately. When I saw this sticky note that sits by my desk, I was reminded to ask God what was really bothering me.
He immediately showed me that the root of my depression and anxiety is fear. I start my practicum internship this fall and I am wrestling with the fear of not measuring up as well as fear of missing out since my schedule will be so full I will have to say “no” to more things than usual.
As soon as I recognized it was fear, I spoke 2 Timothy 1:7 aloud and cast my fear upon the Lord. I immediately noticed a shift in my attitude and heaviness. This gives me a battle plan as I move into a new season.
Tune in to today’s talk therapy episode to hear more about this story and process your own underlying feelings.
