Some Things Just Really Get Under Your Skin

I’m a delayed-reactor. What I mean is, I tend to do fairly well when I get bad or sad news but then after some time has passed, it then seeps through me and I get upset, frustrated, down, etc. (Whatever the situation might call for.) It takes awhile for my feelings to come through.

I see this as a pattern in my life now. I know that even if I cry initially, that I will still take some time to process what has happened and it will permeate through me, body, and soul.

It’s just who I am.

I feel things deeply.

Some things, just can really get under your skin. Even if it takes awhile for them to get through each layer. They can burrow in and plant themselves for awhile.

I may handle criticism or something negative fairly well initially – but then once it finds it’s way through the layers, it can really affect me.

And that sucks.

I don’t usually say “sucks” just for the record. But this time, the word fits. It “sucks.” Because when things get under your skin and really affect you, it’s a very emotional time. Maybe you doubt yourself in a really profound way, or you start getting so steamed about something that you can’t get it off your mind. It’s under your skin – sitting there.

I’ve found that the only way I can get that ‘thing’ underneath to come on back out, is to talk about it. I have to bear my heart to someone. But I have to be careful that I don’t place something that was my burden on someone else’s shoulders because then it becomes their burden – and that’s not fair.

We will never go through this life unscathed. But we can’t always hold others responsible. Remember that prayer in the Bible when God says, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do?” That’s so true at times. Sometimes someone has no idea that something they said will take root, find a little safe harbor, and grow inside of us. They just don’t realize.

Things WILL get under our skin. For some of those, we can let whatever it is fuel us and motivate us. Other times, we need to simply find someone we trust who can walk with us until we’ve had time to shake it off or get it out of our system. But always, ALWAYS, we should take it before God in prayer.

He knows it ‘sucks.’ And He’s waiting to help us through it. All we have to do is ask Him to help us process it and bring us stronger, wiser, and better off when we get to the other side of the issue or circumstance.

And luckily for us, He’s very good at doing just that