All Wrong and Still All Right

So I go to the doctor to get my First-In-A-Lifetime-Physical and she prescribes all these pills. Predictably, I find a hundred and one reasons not to take the pills, but the real reason is because I need her to look at me disapprovingly the next time I see her and then I will go home and take my pills - I need Shame! Figuring out that this pattern was in place in me was the First Great Step. Predictably, it was accompanied by, dare I say it . . . Great Shame! So what was revealed to me was that certain Doors inside of me needed to be opened before I could change, but I couldn't open those doors because they were being protected by Shame, the Great Protector.

So what is one to do with Great Protectors? Aha! Enter the Second Great Step, the insertion of Lovely Compassion . . . Compassion for my need for Great Shame. Lovely Compassion neutralizes Great Protector by taking his hand and saying, "Shame, you've done a great job all these years, but God is saying that it is now time to present to Him what you've been guarding. I love you. Let's go together and present your treasures to Him."

So Shame, Compassion and I present our treasures to God. And whenever I am tempted to hide from Shame, Compassion says, "Love you, girl. It's okay that you are hiding from Shame. It's okay that you are ashamed of Shame. You are learning to not be ashamed of Shame. You are doing a great job!"

So something inside of me jumps up and down with excitement. It makes me so happy that I can be all wrong and still be all right!