THURSDAY THUMP: prayer tapping on anger

23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs,which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. --Matthew 23

Jesus was ripping mad. His frustration with the Pharisees had reached a tipping point and he was tired of playing Mr. Nice Guy. Mr. All in Control. Mr. I’ll never take out a whip and upset a marketplace set up in the Temple. 

Jesus was angry. The chemicals were rushing through his brain, his heart rate increased, his fight or flight impulse was activated in the amygdala portion of his brain. He was ready to fight these self righteous Pharisees on behalf of God, on behalf of the people who were suffering under the hypocritical laws and practices of the established religion.

Been there, done that. Felt that surge. My face getting hot red with derision. Mouth dry...or salivating all over the place like a rabid dog. The veins in my neck start to surface. Fists clench. Sometimes I’ve gotten angry over something noble like an injustice that I’ve witnessed or experienced. Sometimes I’ve gone ballistic over being cut off in traffic or being served the wrong order at Taco Bell. I have been known to explode when I witness an injustice in court or on the sidelines of a pee wee soccer game. I get all riled up and then perseverate on the anger I’m feeling. I hold onto it and nurture it and share it with anyone who will listen to me rant. I’VE BEEN WRONGED! SOMEONE I CARE ABOUT WAS GIVEN A RAW DEAL! RAWWWWWWWR! (insert your image of me doing a Hulk impersonation here).

It’s not pretty.

Maybe you’ve been there, too.

The hard thing is when I can’t let go of the anger. When it get’s into my blood and keeps on boiling long after the triggering incident has passed. I’m grateful for tapping prayer, because if I can think to use it, I discover that God can ease my angst and replace it with peace.

If you are still stewing on something that has made you mad, please join me in a round of tapping prayer. If you are new to prayer tapping, you can check out my basic recipe here.

Because anger involves the amygdala, it is likely that whatever has us upset right now, has gotten us upset in the past. Perhaps the same situation. Perhaps a similar event. The amygdala is like an early warning system in our brain and it alerts us to feel certain things based on previous experiences and patterns of experiences.

Try and identify something that has your blood boiling right now. Before bringing that issue to God, try and remember an incident from your childhood that had you feeling a similar way. Once you have that incident in mind, give it a SUD (see basic recipe) on a scale from 0-10 and write that number down on a piece of paper. There is such a wide variety of things that can get our goat, so let’s call the incident that you have identified, THE PURPLE. Naming our anger after an abstract symbol (such as a color or shape) serves 2 purposes. 1. It gives us a little distance from something that may feel overwhelming or frightening to us. 2 It gives us a common language to use when offering up our prayer.

When you are ready to pray, please take responsibility for your participation in tapping prayer, and let’s pray!

Karate chop: Dear God, I am mad! Angry! Ripped!. Something Purple has happened and I’m beside myself with rage. It’s hard to think of anything else. I keep going back to why the Purple happened. Why it made me feel so ticked off. Why I can’t let it go. It’s kind of exhausting, and at least around this Purple, I am ready for you to bring me some peace. Even though I have this Purple anger, I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God. Even though this Purple makes me feel angry, I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God. Even though I have all this Purple pulsing through my veins (and my amygdala!) I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God.

Top of head: I have this Purple anger.

Eyebrow: This Purple is so strong.

Outer eye: I feel overwhelmed by this Purple.

Under eye: This Purple feeling is out of control

Under nose: I don’t like feeling out of control

Under lip: This Purple is kind of scary.

Collarbone: I have all this powerful Purple

Underarms: This Purple is painful

Wrists: I don't deserve all this Purple.

Top of head: Even though I have a lot of Purple, I am deeply loved and God completely accepts me.

Eyebrow: I wonder when I learned to be afraid of the Purple?

Outer eye: Maybe the Purple wasn’t safe

Under eye: Perhaps I was told not to express my feelings about the Purple or I would face terrible consequences.

Under lip: I might have been punished for feeling Purple

Collarbone: Even though I was punished for feeling Purple, I am deeply loved and completely cared for by God.

Underarms: All this shame filled Purple...

Wrists: The Purple is everywhere. Maybe I deserved it.

Top of Head: Even though there is Purple everywhere I look, and even if I deserved it, I am completely cared for and accepted by God.

Eyebrow: Maybe Purple is nothing to be ashamed of. Maybe people just feel Purple when something like this happens. Perhaps the Purple is just another feeling that can come and go like waves on a shore

Outer eye: This Purple is crashing down on me

Under eye: I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God as I try and catch my breath

Under nose: This rage filled Purple

Under lip: This Purple that is just another feeling

Collarbone: My Purple is boiling over. I can’t contain it.

Underarms: Maybe God can contain it. God is, after all, pretty big.

Wrists: I can consider forgiving myself or anyone else who contributed to this awful Purple.

Top of Head: Even though I have this angry Purple, I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God.

And take a deep breath...Thank you God for being with my Purple in this prayer. Thank you for sending your healing spirit to attend to the Purple that has been keeping me from feeling peace. Amen.

When you are ready, take note of the Purple anger and check the power it is still holding. On a scale of 0-10, how strong is your Purple? If the number is not down to a 0-2, what issues are keeping it at a higher number? Did new issues around the Purple become more prevalent? If so, try writing them down and bringing them to God with more specific language.

The lessons we learned about Purple kinds of events when we were children often inform how we experience Purple as adults. God has been along for the whole of our journey, so trust that the Holy is capable of getting back to the beginning of our anger and healing us up into the present. If the whole Hulk thing is starting to wear thin for you, try prayer tapping on the many shades of Purple that might be turning you green.

Peace,

todd

PS. Check out next week’s TUESDAY TAP: prayer tapping on grief.

TUESDAY TAP: prayer tapping on pain

9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez,[c] saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” 10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.--1Chronicles 4

The Bible has a complex relationship with pain. From the early writings in Genesis 3 which cite God as sending pain upon Adam and Eve for disobeying the Holy, to Jesus healing anyone who was within his reach...and a few that were beyond his reach. The early faith community believed that God was the cause of everything that happened to us. If we were happy and healthy, that was God smiling on us. If were sad and in pain, that was God showing displeasure to us. It made God a bit of a tyrant to work for, but a lot of people bought it. A LOT OF PEOPLE.

A few people wondered if maybe God wasn’t about the pain part of life. Perhaps God was in the healing from pain that came from other sources. The environment. Accidents. Other people. Our own choices. For those people, God was/is loving and caring and aware of our hurting. God is a witness to what has happened to us from the very beginning, and God is always eager to help us go back and clean up the messes we find ourselves in.

I’ll be honest. I’m in the second camp when it comes to pain, and as someone who has found great relief from tapping prayer, I was hopeful that prayer tapping would alleviate  some of the suffering I see in the world around me.

Now, to be doubly honest, I didn’t really believe that tapping prayer could bring about this cure. I doubted. I hedged. I put a limit on God working on this particular issue.

Fortunately, for me and those who have since experienced the benefits of prayer tapping on pain, I try to practice what I preach. It really bugged me that I couldn’t minister around pain, and I was doing some prayer tapping on “doubt” when I asked God to help me with this issue. I was praying:

Top of head: This doubt.

Eyebrow: This limiting belief.

Outer eye: It could never be true.

Under eye: It couldn’t happen.

Under nose: I have this doubt.

Under lip: I have this inability to believe this...

Collarbone: I’ve gotta see it to believe it.

Underarm: I need evidence.

Wrists: I have evidence that my disbelief is holding me back.

Top of head: I have evidence that I am not as peaceful as I’d like to be.

Eyebrow: I have this limiting belief.

Outer eye: Maybe I know where it came from.

Under eye: Maybe it is connected to fear.

Under nose: Maybe it is connected to sadness.

Under lip: Maybe it is limiting me like it limited the people who taught it to me.

Collarbone: I have this doubt.

Underarm: I didn’t ask for it.

Wrists: I wonder if I need it?

Top of head: What would happen if I let it go?

And as I tapped on my doubt around healing physical pain, God healed me. I was able to let go of my limiting belief around God working on this issue through tapping prayer. I was willing to give it a try. I felt peace.

The approach to prayer tapping on pain is similar to praying for other issues. If you are new to tapping prayer read my basic recipe by clicking here. When you feel ready and willing to try applying God’s healing love to your pain, continue reading.

First, identify a pain in your body. You may be experiencing pain in many parts of your body, go ahead and make a list of everything that hurts,and then try to focus on one area at a time. Once you have identified an area of pain take a moment to ask yourself: “What emotion is connected to this pain?” Research has shown a strong connection between feelings and pain. Identify that connection for you, as best you can. If you can connect the emotion to an event, all the better. You will be adding specificity to your prayer so that as God goes back to clean up your hurt, you will both be aware of the place the Holy is attending to. The more specific you can be, the more effectively God can target and relieve the problem.

Once you have a person or an emotion connected with the pain, try saying out loud,

“I have this (emotion) (pain).” An example would be: “I have this angry sharp pain in my neck.” or “I have this sad pain in my feet.”  Rate how true or strong that statement is for you on a scale of 0-10. Write that number down. It is called a Subjective Unit of Distress (SUD). You will use this number after you pray to identify how the spirit has moved within you around this issue.

When you are ready to pray, please take responsibility for your participation in tapping prayer, and let’s pray!

Karate Chop: This is ridiculous, God. I have this........................and I’m calling on you to attend to it by tapping while I pray. I doubt it will work. It doesn’t make sense. I’m going to try it anyway, because quite frankly I’m tired of living with this............................... Even though I have this..................I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God. Even though I feel..........about my pain, I am wildly loved and extravagantly accepted by God. Even though I’ve been living with this....................for some time, I am completely loved and deeply accepted by God.

Top of Head: I have this.................

Eyebrow: It hurts so much.

Outer eye: It feels like.................and reminds me of..............

Under eye: I have this..............

Under nose: This pain is ongoing and ranks a SUD of …..........

Under lip: This..................

Collarbone: I doubt tapping prayer can help this................

Underarms: I can’t believe God could heal this..................

Wrists: I have all this..................

Top of Head: Even though I have all this...............I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God.

Eyebrow: I consider that God could alleviate some of this................

Outer eye: This …..........makes it difficult to enjoy my life

Under eye: Living with this …............disrupts some of my relationships.

Under nose: I'm afraid that I’ll always have this..............

Under lip: I wonder what life would be like without this...................

Collarbone: I am so tired of living with this.......................

Underarms: But I guess I’m stuck with it.

Wrists: Maybe I’m not stuck with it, and I’m deeply loved and completely accepted by God.

Top of head: Maybe God has something different in store for me.

Eyebrow: I wonder if part of me is holding on to this.............because healing would mean I had to do things differently.

Outer eye: I wonder if there are any benefits to living with this.................

Under eye: There are no benefits to living with this................., it stinks!

Under nose: I have this terrible.....................and I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God.

Underlip: I don’t have this terrible...............and I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God.

Collarbone: I am living with an awful case of..............................

Underarms: Maybe I could forgive myself and anyone else who contributed to me experiencing this................even if I believe it might be God.

Wrists: I have this........................

Top of head: Even though I have this (SUD number) of.................I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God.

Take a deep breath.....and thank you God for moving into that painful place in my body. Thank you for sending your spirit to move me in new directions with love. Amen.

Try saying: “I have this (emotion) (pain).” and check the SUD. Did it move? Up? Down? Are there any new thoughts or feelings that have surfaced around your pain? If the number went down, but is not at a 0-2, try to identify what is keeping it at a higher number. Do you have some belief about your pain that is keeping it from a full blessing and peace? If your SUD went up, try and identify what the new issue is that has the higher number. In either case continue prayer tapping until you experience peace and healing around the pain you have brought before God.

It is important to note that sometimes the pain will move from a 10 to a 6 or a 4. While that is not the 0-2 of complete peace, it is a lot easier to live with than a 10! Give thanks to God for any progress and relief and allow the experience to deepen your relationship with the Holy.

God is here to help you. God wants you to feel whole and at peace. By working alongside of God, we focus our attention and God’s will on the pain that keeps us from these gifts. I believe that God’s hand is with you. God will heal you from harm so that you can be liberated from pain.

Peace,

Todd
Check back for the THURSDAY THUMP: prayer tapping on anger.

THURSDAY THUMP: What do you get when the Holy heals your hurt?

(Note: Due to time constraints this week I am unable to produce an original tapping prayer re: pain...apparently my blog on "not enough time to do everything" relaxed me a LOT! 

Pain is a big issue and I want to do it justice, so please hang in there until Tuesday. I promise. It will be there for you. This is an earlier article I wrote about how the Holy attends to our pain. I hope it is provides you with some good food for thought
--todd)

What do you get when the Holy heals your hurt? 

That's a very good question. It's a question I do not know the answer to, because the healing that comes from tapping prayer is so intimate and personal, that only you and God will really understand what the healing means. It may open a door to a further discovery...something terrifying and big and up til now, hidden from your awareness. It may allow you to breathe a little easier. It may give you the first good night's sleep you've had in a very long time. It may make you laugh...or cry...or wonder out loud, "What was that???"

My experience with tapping prayer has elicited all of the above, and more. It has given me a vehicle for exploring where I hurt, in a safe and sacred way. 

It's safe, because the way tapping prayer unfolds is somewhat controlled...not by me, but by the client who decides which issue they want to pray about. I won't go where you do not lead. I may nudge edges to try and make something more specific, but those are just guesses and you are free to say, "nope, that doesn't work" and we'll move on. It's safe because it is about healing, not wishing. Wishing sets up expectations that may not be possible. Wishing projects a specific outcome into the future. Maybe that outcome will occur. Maybe it won't. There is a defined end to a wish (it's either fulfilled or not), and when that end comes, the growth of the individual tends to cease.
Healing is about hope. It is about a process. It attends to the issue at hand. It is not certain of the outcome...yet it trusts that the efforts of everyone involved is focused on seeing the client comfortable, more at peace, more centered and more whole. Maybe not "wholly whole" (my theology leaves that up to the time beyond this time when the Holy makes all things new...) but better than before. That making "better" may involve dissolving an issue that once kept us from feeling peace; it may involve lifting up an issue so that we can better understand what needs to happen to experience the peace we've been seeking; healing is a journey that keeps choogling on down the tracks. It has dynamic movement associated with it. It is an adventure that keeps on challenging us to find "one more thing" to fix. Like love, it never ends...and that's what makes it sacred.

The process of tapping prayer is surrounded by love. It believes that the Holy truly loves you; truly desires to see you whole; truly has your best interests in heart and will work like crazy to be in a deeper relationship with you. That sacred relationship makes the adventure of healing less frightening and more of a celebration of discovery. We get to focus on or discover where we've been hurt in the past, and how God/the Holy is attending to those hurts in our present. We get to witness and experience a taste of things to come as issue after issue is targeted and attended to by the Holy Spirit. Trust me, She does good work. She does the kind of work that we can read about in the Bible; bringing peace and comfort to the afflicted (which I believe is pretty much all of us!), allowing God's spirit to flow freely through our bodies and our communities. This free flow state gives us the space to make clear decisions about ever changing choices in our condition. We are no longer stuck with fight, flight, or freeze. We are liberated. We are loved.

What do you get when the Holy heals your hurt?

TUESDAY TAP: prayer tapping on forgiveness

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

--Ephesians 4:31-32

Although the authorship of Ephesians is up for debate, the main theme of this early church letter is: 

Christians! Make it work!

Sometimes it is hard to imagine something working once it has been broken. Whether it is an object, a situation, or a relationship, cracks of hurt, betrayal, and anger can render the once beloved as obsolete. Without value. Dead. When this happens we have a few choices: a. hold a funeral. b. replay the hurt over and over to ourselves and anyone who will listen. c. make it work...or, as the author of Ephesians would suggest, forgive.

This last course of action can be pretty complicated, especially if we’re talking about relationships instead of dinner plates. Our feelings can be hurt. The hurting might be an ongoing process. We might feel justified in our anger. We may be overwhelmed by the thought that this person we had trusted could do something so egregious.

The thought of forgiving another person (or group of people) may cause us anxiety.

“If I forgive them then they will have gotten away with “it”.

“I can’t forgive them or I will appear weak.”

“They need to suffer like they have made me suffer.”

“I can never forget what they did to me.”

The nice thing about tapping prayer is that when we apply it to forgiveness, none of the above is likely to happen.

“But won’t I be vulnerable if I forgive....

the guy who cut me off in traffic? the ex who won’t leave me alone?  the bully who hurt my kid? the Marathon bombers?”

I would argue with the author of Ephesians, that to the contrary, forgiveness can make us strong. It can give us the strength of kindness, and tenderness. It can allow us to draw from that spiritual energy instead of being drawn down by anger and hatred. Talk about toxic waste! Carrying a bag of that stuff can make you vulnerable! The good news is that tapping prayer allows us to forgive without forgetting. Tapping prayer allows you to let go of the bag and grow in the strength of God’s love.

If you are ready to try option C, choose something that you are having trouble forgiving. Say, “I have trouble forgiving.......” and fill in the blank with whatever it is that you are holding on to. On a scale of 0-10, how true is that statement? Write that number down on a piece of paper. The number is called a Subjective Unit of Distress (SUD). You will refer to it after you pray.

If you are new to tapping prayer, check out the basics by reading this article. When you are ready, please take responsibility for your participation in tapping prayer, and let’s pray:

Karate Chop: Dear God, I am wary of this particular tapping prayer. I am afraid that if I let go of the thing I can’t forgive, I will fall apart...or hurt someone...or get hurt. I need you to gently heal this fear and anger I have been holding on to. Help me release this toxin so that I can feel your peace and strength coursing through my soul. Right now I am at a SUD of.....because I have trouble forgiving............  

Even though I have trouble forgiving.......I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God. Even though I can’t let go of my feelings around forgiving.......I am completely loved and deeply accepted by God. Even though I’m having a hard time forgiving.......I am your beloved child who you care for and love every minute of every day.

Top of head: It’s difficult to forgive......

Eyebrow: i have so much hurt.

Outer eye: I have so much anger.

Under eye: I’m feeling bitter.

Under nose: I might feel afraid.

Under lip: I am too afraid to forgive.

Collarbone: It’s too hard to let go of what......did.

Underarm: I can’t forgive......... for...................

Wrists: I have a right to feel these feelings.

Top of head: Even though it’s hard to forgive.......I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God.

Eyebrow: I wonder why that happened?

Outer eye: I’m so ticked off that.........did that!

Under eye: My feelings are so strong about this.

Under nose: My feelings might be holding me captive.

Under lip: I wonder what it would take to be free of the anger? free of the hurt? free of the bitterness? free of the fear?

Collarbone: Even though I have these strong feelings around forgiving......I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God.

Underarm: It’s so hard to forgive............

Wrists: Forgiving...............seems impossible.

Top of head: Even though it seems impossible to forgive......I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God.

Eyebrow: I guess I am stronger than God if I can create something that is impossible to do.

Outer eye: I don’t feel safe with all of this power.

Under eye: I choose to feel safe.

Under nose: Perhaps God can make the impossible possible?

Under lip: …....doesn’t deserve to be forgiven.

Collarbone: I don’t deserve to be forgiven. I can consider forgiving.........

Underarms: Even though I consider forgiving.......I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God.

Wrists: I consider that God forgives........for............

Top of head: Even though it is difficult to forgive.......... I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God.

Take a deep breath.....and thank you God for sending your Spirit to the places in me that are hurting the most around forgiving........... Hold me as I reflect on your healing...Amen.

Try saying: It is difficult to forgive........” and then check your SUD. Has it gone up? Down? Stayed the same? If it has gone up, what issues are driving that movement? Try applying tapping prayer to those specific issues until they come down to a 0-2. The more specific your prayer, the more likely it is that you will begin to feel peace. If your SUD has gone down, the Holy is moving you in the direction of a tender heart and kindness. Note any shifts in your spirit and record them so that you can track God’s movement in your life.

When we invite God into the process of forgiving, we often discover new possibilities for ourselves and for those who have hurt us. Some of these possibilities may lead to a renewed relationship. Some of the spirit’s promptings may give us the strength to walk away from a situation that is not healthy for us to be a part of. Forgiveness liberates us. Forgiveness can make us strong. Forgiveness can lead to something...beautiful.

Peace,

todd

ps. Check out the THURSDAY THUMP: prayer tapping on pain.

THURSDAY THUMP: Prayer tapping on change.

18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”

21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.

22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”

27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”--Luke 18

I have heard this text taught as an admonition against wealth. I have seen ministers shake their head as a warning to parishioners who wouldn’t open their wallets a little wider. I have witnessed parishioners use this text to justify themselves because, after all, being poor allowed them to pass through the needle’s eye just fine.

I think this text is about something bigger. Something more universal. I believe that Jesus was talking about, “change.”

The young man had followed the rules. He had jumped through the hoops. He had lived a good life...and, he was richly rewarded for his good life (or so the thinking of the day would have concluded). But here’s where Jesus throws a fly into the ointment. Living well is not enough. Following the rules is not enough.

Drawing closer to God requires change.

Big change.

Sacrificial change.

That may explain the outcry of those who heard this story first hand. “WHO THEN CAN BE SAVED?”

I know that I struggle with changing. I wrestle with letting go of old patterns, old relationships, old truths that no longer serve my well being. Perhaps you have some areas in your life that you have a hard time changing, too.

I take heart in Jesus’ reply to our crisis of faith, ““What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

I believe that is our call to prayer today. I also believe that is where tapping prayer can set us free and allow us to pass through that elusive needle’s eye.

Try and identify one area of your life that needs changing. There may be many issues to choose from:

• My relationship with a friend is killing me.
• I hate my job.
• I can’t quit smoking/eating/hurting myself.
• I’ve never prayed like this before.

You probably have something different that is keeping you from feeling peace. Choose one issue where you are particularly stuck, and give that issue a SUD from 0-10. Use the statement: “I can’t stop............” and fill in the blank. If you are new to tapping prayer, read this article first so that you can become familiar with how it works.

When you are ready to let God start making the impossible possible, please take responsibility for your participation in tapping prayer, and let’s pray:  

Karate Chop: I’m sure this will come as no surprise to you, God, but I hate change...unless I’m in control of it. It’s uncomfortable to learn new patterns, be in new relationships, figure out new ways of doing things. I like the old ways...even if they’re killing me! Or hurting me. Or not serving my ability to be at peace with you and the people I love.

I need help.

I have a problem.

I’m addicted to the way I’ve always done things, and I need your intervention.

Even though I can’t stop..........I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God. Even though I am addicted to................I am held in God’s loving arms and cared for all time by the Divine. Even though I don’t want to stop...........I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God.

Eyebrow: I can’t stop........................

Outer eye: I have been....................for a long time. It’s what I’m comfortable with.

Under eye: Even if it makes me feel uncomfortable, I prefer to keep on............

Under nose: I can’t stop..................

Under lip: I can’t change.

Collarbone: Even though I can’t change I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God.

Underarms: I can’t quit...............

Wrists: I am hooked on....................

Top of head: Even though I can’t change, I am completely loved and deeply accepted by God.

Eyebrow: I wonder what I would lose if I changed?

Outer eye: Losing something sounds scary. I might be scared.

Under eye: I might lose my family or friends or job or...............

Under nose: I wonder how life would be different without................?

Under lip: What if the “different” wasn’t pleasing to me?

Collarbone: I like being in control.

Underarms: It feels like this......................is controlling me.

Wrists: I’m trapped by my inability/unwillingness to change.

Top of head: Even though I feel out of control, I am loved and respected and cherished by God.

Eyebrow: Maybe I could change.

Outer eye: Maybe God could control the things that I can’t control.

Under eye: I can never ever NEVER change.

Under nose: I can consider forgiving myself for becoming addicted to................

Under lip: I can consider forgiving anyone who has enabled me or is enabling me to continue..........................

Collarbone: Even though I can’t stop...................., God accepts me and calls me, “Beloved.”

Underarms: I have this habit.

Wrists: I am beloved by God. I can consider having compassion for myself.

Top of Head: Even though I can’t stop...................., I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God.

And take a deep breath.........I thank you God for being with me in the midst of my impossible addiction. I am grateful for the attention you have shown to my soul.

Check your SUD on the phrase: “I can’t stop.....................” Has anything shifted? Can you consider change in a new way? Are there any new issues attached to the original concern? What are the feelings connected to these new issues? If your SUD is at a 0-2 you are probably experiencing a new found peace, despite a “change” occurring within you! If your SUD is higher than a 2, try directing God’s healing toward the new issue, or add some new details to the above concern.

Jesus didn’t reject the young man who was struggling with change. He gave him a recipe for liberation and allowed him to try it when he was ready. Jesus had compassion for the challenge the young man was facing. Jesus has compassion for the revolution of our soul that is required of us, in order for us to draw closer to God.
Peace,
todd
Check in next week for the TUESDAY TAP: Prayer tapping on forgiveness.