Reaching Out When Confined Within

REACHING OUT in the midst of the stifling ambience of a confined soul is a steep and grating challenge. Why is it that those of us who must step out of our comfort zones find it impossibly hard at times? And who has a comfort zone to break temporarily out of? Yes, that would be all of us!

Breaking out of our comfort zones is a life imperative – not many of us get away from life to such an extent that we can avoid it; not for too long anyway.

But it is a real challenge: to reach out when we feel most confined within. When we are most depressed, and we know getting out of ourselves might be the thing we most need, we are least likeliest to do such a thing; until it all just gets too much. We might hope (for ourselves) that we aren’t ‘too strong’ so we can reach out – in healthy ways – earlier rather than later.

Anxiety is another of these states where we might feel so rattled about our emotional environments we limit ourselves to the safest of extensions.

Many men find it impossible to be truthful about the things that concern them – there seems no outlet. There is too much ‘toughen up princess’ these days – too much rubbish macho fear-talk going on.

For women, there may not be the people to talk with – perhaps there isn’t the time in some who would listen, or the opportunity.

Either way, when we most need people we are likely to be flagging mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.

Taking a Step On the Way Over the Bridge of Faith

Imagining we are about to step from safe land onto a creaky medieval drawbridge over a boiling river of lava to get into the castle that is our spiritual integrity – our oneness with ourselves and God – we step tremulously.

There’s no getting past it; we must risk if we are to stand in the land of opportunity. Surely we are tackling our fear as well as our current state of dissatisfaction.

As we take one step and then, as if under autopilot, we take the next, not knowing what may come, we keep stepping – one after another.

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Courage is girded by faith to step as faith is fortified by courage. Courage is the right foot; faith, the left foot. As we put one foot in front of the other, we step clearly and definitely into the destiny God has for us in surmounting our problems. Reaching out when we’re confined within is wisdom.

© 2013 S. J. Wickham.