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| October 27, 2014 |
The Brain, within its Groove
Runs evenly --and true--
But let a Splinter swerve--
'Twere easier for You--
To put a Current back--
When Floods have slit the Hills--
And scooped a Turnpike for
Themselves--
And trodden out the Mills--
Emily Dickinson
A mind IS powerful. If it gets away from you, it is an ugly beast. Unstoppable almost.
Dickinson is content to leave it at that, but her words caused me to continue. The problem of the wicked mind running away and dragging us with it is the real problem behind so much of our anxiety and fear and anger.
Reading about Zelda Fitzgerald and Isobel Kuhn and even Agatha Christie has let me in on a little secret - I'm not alone in the games my mind plays on me.
I'm not the only one who finds myself very discouraged. I'm not the only one who has times when it seems that the darkness is so overwhelming, there is no way around it. I'm not the only one who looks out at this life and realizes that for all the good, there is a lot of BAD.
I know the power of my mind when it escapes from its groove. I also know the agony that follows.
The best course of action is to not let our minds get away. We must do all that we can to keep them in their groove. Even a fleeting thought, a splinter, and you could be in for yet another "ride".
What our mind needs is the Word of God working in us by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. Only this Word can remind us of the truth and direct our minds to stay on course.
Are you into poetry? What's your favorite poem?
Do the words of this poem ring true for you?
Do you battle fear and anxiety?
I might be back next Tuesday
with a few more thoughts on this.
In the meantime, let's chat!
you are so right!!! our mind can be such a tricky place! but if we fill it with the Word of God we are better prepared for the battle! :)
ReplyDeleteOur mind can take us places it doesn't need to go. We need to take every thought captive. I do love poetry but I can't think of one right now. That was a beautiful poem. Great thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI'm not really into poetry--but I"m loving this! I definitely struggle a lot with fear and anxiety.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I'm not always a huge poetry fan. But I do like Emily D. Our minds play ridiculous tricks on us, and it goes all the way back to the garden of Eden when Eve's mind confused her. I feel so blessed to have the Bible to speak truth into my life.
ReplyDelete