06
Apr '19
Emotional Energy
06
Apr '19
Have you ever been so mentally exhausted that you just didn’t have the emotional energy to be around people, places or things? Just so much going on in life, you just didn’t need ONE MORE THING? I’m not talking about diagnosed depression or anxiety (that’s something entirely different), but just the emotional energy that can get sucked right out of you from time to time.
Recently, a friend that I normally hear from every day kind of dropped off the face of the earth. After a couple of days, I became a little concerned. I had been busy and figured the same for them, but reached out to make sure. Their response – “Hey, been dealing with real world stuff. Sucking up my time and emotional energy”. As I read that, I thought about how many times do we just continue to go on with our lives without paying attention to others around us. Everything seems to always be about us.. us… us. Me, me, me.
I’ve become more and more aware of how important it is to focus on others vs. myself. I’ve heard Pastor Frank in the past mention the acronym for JOY – Jesus, Others, You. In that order. When we get it out of order, it becomes something that doesn’t even resemble JOY (YOJ, OYJ, YJO).
In another example, yesterday, I had been so busy I had forgotten to respond quickly to a text from a friend (which I normally do respond quickly), and then the day went on and I had forgotten the text altogether. When the next morning rolled around, I got another text from her “Are you ok?”. I immediately responded (and apologized for forgetting!). How amazing was it just to have her ask that question? Yes, everything was fine, but to know that she noticed and wanted to make sure meant so much.
We all need friendships in our lives that are going to pick us up when we fall. When we get emotionally drained and crawl into our caves, we need to hear “Are you ok?” Not only do we need that for ourselves (me, me, me), we need to do that for others (you, you, you). Even if they’re so sucked dry of emotional energy that they don’t want to be bothered, just knowing that you reached out to make sure they were ok can make the most difference. It not only shows that you care, but it shows they are important to you.
Ecclesiastes 4:9 NLT – “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.”
Ecclesiastes 4:12a NLT – “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer.”
(Although these two verses are many times used in the context of marriage, I don’t exclude them from friendship, as well.)
So, be sure to check in with your friends often, and especially if things seem off or a little abnormal. If they are having issues with life, be there to support them in any way they need. Remember, sometimes they just need someone to be there – not to fix or do anything in particular, but just to be there to let them know they are loved. They may have zero emotional energy to give, but for you to be there for them can mean everything.
1 Samuel 20:17 NLT says “And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself”. Do you love your friends as you do yourself?
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*Dena*
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