It’s the end of month 4 on the World Race. We spent the last two months in Eastern
Europe, experienced continent, culture and team changes. Debrief is a time to sort through thoughts or
feelings with someone not on the race, with an outsider, a fresh perspective
and prayer partner. C Squad’s month 4
Debrief took place in the capital city of Chisinau,
Moldova. For
nearly one week the entire squad convenes for refreshment, reflection, worship
and relationship.
World Race sends coaches (aka Squad parents) and staff to
help facilitate the time. This time C
Squad had the privilege of gleaning insight from another squad’s leader: Bill
Swan. He went on the race several years
ago with his wife. At the time he was a
team leader and self proclaimed “big deal.” Then he signed up for squad leader
and we rejected for some time. Finally
after spiritual development and personal growth He was selected to lead W
Squad…and now he’s invited to speak to other squads at debrief session. Bill has matured into a “big deal.”
Eager to get to Africa I was
admittedly not excited for debrief. An
entire week in suspense of continent change was not my idea of fun. However, when my friends from other teams
began to arrive, I was happy we had time to spend together. Sessions were scheduled morning and evening
and didn’t at first seem to leave much time for rejuvenation; yet the first
morning session kicked us all out of our debrief dread.
Bill opened with a lecture on “Being Stuck: What it Means
and How to Free Yourself.” I genuinely
understood and appreciated his points and examples. Feeling that these concepts are universal, I
would like to share them with you. Please meditate on the questions, flesh out
the bullets, and reflect on personal experience.
I hope this helps you understand some of your “hang-ups” as
it helped me identify mine. There isn’t just one way to be stuck or one prison.
These change with circumstance, age, maturity, etc etc.
*stuck:
-We can be mentally,
physically, emotionally stuck
—-In different areas or situations: jobs, relationships, habits, side of road…
We get stuck and often do not or can not understand how,
when or why we got that way.
*Galatians 5:22-Fruits of the
Spirit
-Designed to long for
and pour out these virtues
-When I’m stuck, I am not
available to be filled up and I certainly fail at pouring out
-Where might I be looking for these instead of looking to
God?
—-Think of your coping mechanisms. Are they healthy and helping? Or are
they
unhealthy,
distracting and destructive?
-Sin/disobedience/things unseen often cause us to get Stuck
—-Looking elsewhere
(instead of to God) opens me up to lies and corruption
—-Leads to wounding
self and others: consciously and unconsciously we influence those
around us. Sometimes this is the most painful, hard to
accept consequence of our
bondage that
keeps us stuck.
—-Walls get built up around you heart: hinders
growth and ability to love others
*5 Prisons
1. Comparison
2. Regret: wish I
could take that back; do overs
3. Bitterness: Develops
over time when wounds aren’t dealt with)
4. Excuses: Being in
the box; Justifying actions to avoid uncomfortable feelings;
avoiding
responsibility leads to self deception!
—-Solution to excuses: Repentance
5. Withdrawal: Isolating
from people and ignoring personal gifting; wallowing in
contempt; not
trusting in God’s protection from the situation
*Triggers
(Remember, these are my notes and my triggers…you will have
your own)
-being told what and how to do something (ex:
micromanagement)
-feeling disrespected, underused, undervalued
-ignorance without openness/willingness to learn
*Steps to Healing – Redemption
{buyback
1. Stop Avoiding
2. Ask God
3. Believe in His healing
4. Ask for Forgiveness
5. Free others from bitter feelings
6. Recognize temporary slip ups as they are: not permanent,
not failure
7. Daily read or speak truth over self: “I AM REDEEMED”
