How to Receive Comfort - Part 1

There I was, eleven years old, out in the garage hiding.  I waited until I knew I would not be discovered and went to the freezer that was kept out there and found what I was looking for.  The little chocolate donuts, six to a wrapper.  I found a package, opened it right there and gobbled down the frozen treats as fast as I could, hoping nobody would find me.

In an overcrowded house with a dozen or more children and half as many adults, it was difficult to find privacy for sneaking the sweet treats, but I managed to do so often.  When my favorites were finally all gone, I would then look for my next favorites:  the white powder donuts. 

I learned about “closet-eating” as a way of self-comforting or self-soothing very early in life.  It was a very poor substitute for what I really needed during that phase of my growth and development, which was to receive the comfort I needed from my mom and dad.

I didn’t know my dad growing up, and had been separated from my mother on so many occasions as a young child that I learned to not depend on her to meet my very real needs.  Sometimes she would be gone for a few days or a few weeks.  One time I was left in the care of others for more than a year without any hope of her return or knowledge of her whereabouts. 

The first time I remember it really affecting me was at age seven, standing on the driveway of the house we were living in, bawling my eyes out and begging for her not to go. 

“Stop crying.  Crying doesn’t do any good.” That’s the message I got from my mom.

I cried anyway that day, but not being able to depend on her constant presence to comfort me caused me to start looking for other ways to find the comfort my heart desperately needed.

That pattern of being my own source for the comfort continued for decades.  It resulted in a weight problem and hoarding tendencies that began at an early age, and of course, continued for decades and eventually became an issue with obesity and a tendency to hold onto my “stuff” longer than what was healthy.  No other outcome was possible when food and stuff became the substitute for the real comfort I needed. 

My attempts at weight loss and decluttering were usually successful at the beginning, but every attempt ended with me eventually regaining the weight I had lost, plus more; or re-accumulating more stuff than I had gotten rid of in my last attempt at decluttering.  Lots more weight. Lots more stuff. 

The roller-coaster ride with my weight leveled out some after I attended a class called “Levels of Change” taught by Bob Hamp.  That was followed by a class called “The Problem Jesus Came to Solve” and several others, which are available to everyone, for free: 

Link:  http://gatewaypeople.com/ministries/freedom-kairos/media1

My problem, even after attending these classes, was that I did not recognize that I was my own source for comfort.  

After that first Freedom Ministry class in 2005, I made a commitment to myself that I would not try any more “diets” (I would consciously choose to make healthier choices at times, but I don't consider that to be a "diet") until I could solidly connect with my real identity and know “Who I am in Christ” with absolute assurance. I left class that day with a bookmark that read, "Who I am in Christ" and the following list of reminders with scripture references.

I am accepted.

I am secure. 

I am significant. 

This led me on a journey to the Heart of My Heavenly Father.  A journey that took almost a decade.  It makes sense considering I had no real relationship with my earthly father to help me navigate this journey.

To be continued....Part 2....here's a taste of what's to come:

Once safely connected to the Heart of my Father, I was easily able to make the next leap of faith and that was to a connection with the Holy Spirit, who had been waiting patiently for me to work out all my “Father” issues so that he could step in and help me learn to receive comfort, the real deal, from Him.  There's a reason why He is referred to as "The Comforter"!  

I was so used to “being strong” (a euphemism for bypassing grief) and carrying the very heavy load of grief inside of me, that I didn’t even realize that’s what I was doing.  It took me several more years to figure this out. I had no idea that when I signed up to take the Freedom Ministry Training class (so that I could help others) it would result in my healing and learning not just “how to” allow the Holy Spirit to comfort me (more knowledge), but to actually "do it" (experiential), "it" being allowing the Holy Spirit to comfort me...