Monday, April 09, 2007

My Personal Pile


The season of Lent has passed and while sitting in church yesterday celebrating Easter our pastor discussed something that happened this past Saturday.
I have to tell you that I haven't been going to church a lot lately so I wasn't aware of the activity that was taking place.
People were encouraged to come into church and bring something that represents an issue in their life that they want to overcome. Something that they didn't want to live with any more and things that they wanted to stop doing. By the end of the day there was a huge pile of random things on the stage.
One man walked in holding the hand of his young daughter and placed a clock on the top of the pile. Did it represent spending more time with his family or less time doing something else? We don't know what it represented to him.
Some people came in with boxes completely sealed in duct tape so that no one could see what they were leaving behind and others placed the item out on plain sight. Bags of sugar, a computer, a television and many other items.
A couple came in with a sealed envelope and placed it on the pile together and then cried in each others arms. It could have been anything in that envelope. Proof that one cheated, financial issues or information about infertility options. They know what they left behind.
People who weren't able to participate physically sent emails. One person said "I am going to stop playing computer games and get a life in the real world".
It got me started thinking about the things that I want to give up or get rid of in my life and since I can't go back in time and do it at church I thought that I would do it here.

I no longer want to live a life that is dictated by what is on television but a life that is based on family, friends, nature & spirit.
I want to become an active person rather than a sedentary one.
I will no longer listen to the voice in my head that pre-judges people but will allow people to show me who they are.
I will no longer allow the fact that I get frustrated easily turn into anger and yelling but use every frustration and turn it into a teachable moment for myself or others.
I will no longer live to eat but eat to live.

What do you want to give up or get rid of?

22 comments:

Mrs. Hairy Woman said...

I would like to be rid of the hurt and resentment I have for my parents...I want to be able to forgive them for things they have done to me.

Tara said...

Another great post, Rachel!

I'd like to get rid of my fear of driving highways. Granted if I did get rid of that fear, I still wouldn't drive them all the time, but still. One less fear would be nice.

Jaybird said...

I would get rid of Pop-Tarts! They're the tools of the Devil!

Seriously though, I really can’t think of anything I would want to be rid of in my own life. So instead, I would like to have all disease, poverty, and ill-will towards others just disappear from the planet. I’ll take world peace for $1,000, Alex...

laughing said...

I've about run out of Pop Tarts. Where did they all go?

Sizzle said...

i'd like to give up letting fear dictate what i allow myself to feel. i just want to feel it all- good and bad- and come out on the other side.

Anonymous said...

If you like the the idea of what this represents, I strongly suggest you check out:

http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

Jaybird said...

laughingattheslut- I ate them all! They are toooooo good not to be the work of pure, ingenious evil!

dmarks said...

I arrived here for something meaningful, and to say something meaningful. But now all I have is a poptart craving.

Anonymous said...

There are many things I would like to give up. In fact to many to list here but pop tarts are not on the list. Those little bundles of evil are too good and they are calling me from their boxes.

Rachel said...

babybull40 ~ Overcoming hurt and resentment is very difficult. Good luck to you.

Tara ~ Go for it. My best friend was terrified but she overcame that exact same fear. Good luck to you.

Jaybird ~ Did you know that one poptart has over 200 calories? Eat both in the package and you are well over 400. That is definitely evil.

laughingattheslut ~ Sorry, I don't have any either.

Sizzle ~ Shutting down emotionally is so detrimental to being a whole, complete person. I know that you have blogged about this in the past. I hope that you are able to overcome this.

Anonymous ~ I read Post Secret every Sunday. I love it. Some people are very creative.

jaybird ~ I can totally hear your Dr. Evil impression right now.

dmarks ~ You can blame Jaybird for that. Stupid Jaybird. Turns something meaningful into a joke.
(just kidding. Love ya Jaybird)

Dennis ~ Are you sure it is the Pop Tarts and not your split personality projecting from the Pop Tart boxes?

Anonymous said...

We resent that.

Freckle Face Girl said...

Interesting post - I would like to spend more time thinking about the good things in my life & less time dwelling on the bad.

Churlita said...

I would be happy to let go of even a couple of my insecurities.

Anonymous said...

I would like to give up being completely sedentary....I need to get more exercise.

I just lack motivation.

On a funnier note, though, I wonder what would have happened in church if someone would have come in and put their kids on the pile and then left :)

Lydia said...

Great list, Rachel.

I imagine if I thought about this for a while there'd be several things, but what immediately comes to mind is comfort eating and procrastination. Never can seem to totally overcome those two things.

Unknown said...

I would get rid of fear. Fear sucks.

egan said...

I scanned this post hoping a stack of porno mags showed up at church. I'm guessing the duct taped items may have included some boobies.

I'd give up blogging.

laughing said...

I wonder what they did with the stuff?

The clock and such could go to a charity store. But if there are taped up boxes, who knows what is in there? And if you open the box and look, that might upset the person that taped up the box. You can't give a taped up box to Goodwill, it might have porno tapes or something. But on the other hand it might be nice clothes or something that should go to charity, like maybe the person was trying to get rid of vanity or something like that.

If they just took all the stuff out back and burned it, I hope that they told people that first.

Anonymous said...

I'd like to get rid of thinking I'm nothing - it would be nice to love myself

Anonymous said...

I'd give up my scattered-ness. You know, where I have so much to do that I decide to multi task and tackle six chores at once, and make a humongous mess and then don't finish any of them. And then I get so overwhelmed that I don't know where to begin.

I just want to finish what I start. I'm not really lazy....but too much time gets away from me before I have as much to show for it as I should.

Rachel said...

Dennis ~ LOL

Freckle ~ Dwelling on the bad things is so easy to do. Celebrating your blessings seems to be so much harder.

Churlita ~ Do you beat yourself up on the inside? I do that all the time.

Playtah ~ I thought about that too. Macabre but funny at the same time.

Lydia ~ I can relate to both of those. It seems that I never have my laundry done.

Aria ~ Healthy fear is good. With no fear people would probably die an early and painful death. But crippling fear is such a tough thing to overcome.

Egan ~ One person who emailed in said that he was going to put his obsession with pornography behind him. I am pretty sure there had to be some porn movies or magazines in there somewhere.

I don't know what they did with the items. I don't think anyone really cared. I have a feeling that the good things they donated but the things that were sealed or broken were thrown out unopened. They try to be very respectful to people.

Princess Extradinaire ~ Welcome to my blog!!! I have HUGE struggles with self worth and thinking that I am worth anyones time or attention. Especially the opposite sex.

Beth ~ My mom is the same way. Doesn't ever finish anything because she is always starting too many things. I have a feeling that some of yours is that you would much rather spend time with your daugther than anything else.

Erica said...

I would like to get rid of my insecurities and be stronger in myself, trust myself more, and stop second guessing always.
I would also like to be more active!