Dropping the Sword

Happy Monday, my friends!!  So earlier today, I shared my surgery decision on Facebook.  I was planning to do that at some point, and now that J&K know about it and both have a Facebook, I thought sooner might be better than later.  (Which was kinda me bracing myself even then).

As you might expect, I wrote out an intense, five-paragraph post and sent it to Chet Lee to read over, mostly asking if he thought it was too soon to share that news publicly.  He called me and started by kindly saying "It was very well written, as usual" then I naturally braced for what was coming next... and he said it felt like I was saying more than necessary.  I was confused and thought he meant I shouldn't share the news at all, but as we talked through that more, he clarified: "I think it's great to share it if you feel ready to do that.  It just feels like you're defending something that doesn't need to be defended here.  You're really bracing up for an argument, but I think you'll be surprised by how supportive people will be!  [He was not wrong.] You made this decision and you know it's right for you, and you have peace with God about it, so you don't have to overexplain yourself or brace for criticism.  Just say you're grateful for their support and leave it at that."  Then he gently added,  I think bracing up is kind of the knee-jerk reaction, and it probably stems from your history with rejection, and that's so understandable. But this is the new, healthier Lindsey, and there's no need to carry that forward."

I meeeean, mic drop on that ending, right!? ❤

The rest was paraphrased, but I feel like I got the last couple sentences right.  And that struck a chord and immediately brought Mel's talk about dropping the sword back to my mind, so I looked her video up and watched it again and was stunned by how much it applied to my life (and how I had completely overlooked it a couple weeks ago).  Here's a short clip:

Chettles and Mel Robbins have teamed up with poignant words and timing lately, which clearly means God is working behind the scenes.  Mel shared a lesson in Launch sometime last week called "Drop the Sword."  She talked about spending a lot of her life feeling braced up and ready for a fight.  I am not an aggressive person and didn't relate to that, but I do often feel like I have to defend myself and brace up for unkind comments, and I end up overexplaining so. many. things. to ward off potential criticism.

*Please feel free to remind me of this - I genuinely want to get better here!

Inspired by Chet's thoughtful advice, I shortened my post to one simple paragraph and immediately felt so much better and more confident about sharing it.  I'm very grateful to say the response has been overwhelmingly positive and supportive, and it feels freeing for it to be public knowledge now.  Without realizing it, I was making that harder than it had to be.  Ironically, I was the one downgrading my own joy and peace by preparing ahead of time for the shame that absolutely no one is throwing my way.

Gracious!  Real vulnerability is challenging, but rewarding.  I am thanking God for Chet once again today, a long-term friend with the authority and courage to speak truth in love repeatedly.  There's a reason Jesus calls us to that —it is so precise and healing when you hear it.  Anyway, this season is fun… I genuinely love how much I am learning and changing.

To the best of my ability, I'm trusting God and dropping the defensive sword now.
Because this is the new, healthier Lindsey, and there's no need to carry that forward! ❤❤