Pulling Back, Disconnecting or Whatever You Want to Call It

You never know what a day will bring. It's funny how you can wake up, go about your day, and then, something out of blue happens and you think, didn't see that one coming. I had one of those days on Wednesday. Just when I was wrapping up my day and headed home—BAM! A phone call that changed everything! It changed the whole trajectory of my day, my countenance, emotions—everything.

After the phone call, I got into a mindset that usually happens after I get news like that. I kind of go into this "disconnection" mode where I begin pulling back from people and responsibilities. Have you been there? I think we all "disengage" from time to time, but, sometimes I wonder if that's really healthy? I know all of us go through emotional ups and downs, but what I'm talking about here is cutting loose, hiding out, abdicating our relationships because we are "knocked for a loop." I'm not sure how healthy it is. Any thoughts?

I guess the danger is that we tend to "disappear" or "go dark", as one of my friends puts it, when we face some kind of stress or relational disaster. I think that's when we need the people around us to recognize when and how we start fading. I have had plenty of people recognized my countenance looking a little down the last couple of days, however, I have tried to blow it off as "I'm tired" or "I'm good, no worries." Funny, how we have gotten in the habit of offering these trite expressions. We might as well be saying, "No thanks, I don't need your encouragement or prayers today. Maybe next time when I'm in a better mood." This can no longer be. I know God has surrounded me with people who care. I'm not "putting them out" by sharing how my stresses are bogging me down. Most of these people are my friends, I like to call them "my cushion."

Maybe it's time for some of us to re-engage. Some of us have been disengaged so long we can't remember the last time we allowed ourselves to be encouraged by another. We end up playing a victim and think we deserve a time-out. Well, in a lot of cases we do deserve a time-out, but we don't deserve an off-season. We don't deserve to just quit the game. A time-out is fine, but we must gather our emotions, change our mindset and re-engage with 100% assurance that we can make it. Why? Because, you may need to be the cushion in someone else's life today. You never know what a day will bring.

Below are Scriptures that include the phrase "one another" that might encourage you.

John 13:34
Love one another

Rom. 12:10
Be devoted to one another

Rom. 12:16
Live in harmony with one another

Rom. 15:7
Accept one another

Gal. 5:13
Serve one another in love

Eph. 4:2
Put up with one another

Eph. 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another

Col. 3:16
Teach and admonish one another

Heb. 3:13
Encourage one another daily

1 Pet. 4:9
Offer hospitality to one another