Me Made Well Page One

Why

Why is a very important question to ask, but even more important to ask ourselves. Growing up in my parent’s house, I would never have the gull to ask why to my parents. I always assumed it safer to just do what I was told. For some reason, when it came to school, I never felt comfortable asking questions to teachers and later to professors. I think it was because I didn’t know how to say: I need help, but I don’t even know where to start. Like, how do you say to someone, I don’t even know what I don’t know. But then my addiction: it made it hard to pursue why, mainly, because I was in such a brain fog I wasn’t alert enough to even know there was a “why” to pursue. Sometimes we are just to flat out busy to pause an ask why. And then there are times where we shy away from asking “why” because are afraid that it’ll open Pandora's box and we won’t be able to shove all the aftermath back in the box where it came from. The last category is difficult. You remember those “Where’s Waldo” books. Sometimes the “why” is hidden behind some much clutter it is nearly impossible to find it even if we really tried. I get it.

Whether you are busy, afraid, brain-fogged, distracted, or just confused, this lesson is for you. Now for the small select group that just doesn’t care why, yea this lesson is for you too!

So why are you here today? Why are you listening or reading this lesson?

Charles Duhigg, in his book The Power of Habbit , said that there was powerful potential behind understanding the “why” behind what we do. If you can understand the “why” you can change the habit and thus change your life.

So when you had a chance to say… “I don’t need a support group”, WHY didn’t you?

When you don’t have an addiction, when you are not grieving, or even lonely - why would you consider joining a program designed to create safe places for our healing?

Maybe you are a Christian and your thinking: do I really need this? I believe in God. I’m forgiven my sins. I’m going to heaven. I go to church on Sunday.

There are two important passages in Luke that impact the non-church goer and church-goer alike:

Jesus had just finished his long 40 day fast. He was made weak during this fast and had become vulnerable. While He was weak and tired, His WHY was repeatedly challenged. Firm in His WHY He enters the congregation meeting on the Sabbath as was His habit. Except this particular Sabbath God had a message to proclaim through Him, namely:

Luke 4:17–20 ESV

And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.

Jesus was sent by God to do the following:

To proclaim good news, which is:

Liberty to the captives

Recovering of sight to the blind

Set at liberty those who are oppressed

This means that no matter who you are, what you do, where you work, how much melanin in your skin, or your dialect,

We all need to be rescued

We all have blind-spots

We have all been hurt by someone else’s abuse of power.

Or better yet, why wouldn’t we want to get “unstuck”, to see life and other clearly, and to freed up from unnecessary burdens?

We’ll that’s depressing. But that’s the point! That’s why we need some good news because reality is quite sobering.

John 10:10 ESV

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

A reason-why is an unearthed emotion, motivation, event that shows up in the way we think, the way we talk, the people we associate with or don’t, the reason why we do what we do. It shows up in what we do on a bad day or when we feel insecure. It shows up when we think people are getting too close.

The challenge with the reason-why is that it often goes without being known and noticed. We all have habits, but often misdiagnosed as habits. On the surface they appear unique, independent, disconnected, but beneath the superficial fascia of reasons-why tie these actions together.

Why do I walk into work paranoid thinking I’m going to get fired?

Why do I assume that no one wants to hear what I have to say?

Why do I take the sides streets instead of sitting in traffic?

Why do I keeping helping people who aren’t there for me when I need them?

Or, better yet, why are you here hearing this lesson? Why did you sign up for this program?

Simon Sinek, in his book, Start With Why, believed that customers do not buy what you make, they buy based on “why” you make them. The “why” is what connects customer’s “why” with your “why”. Its our “why” that allows others to latch on. Our “whys” connect us to each other in powerfully unseen ways. A “why” can cross gender, ethnicity, socio-economic boundaries and makes us relatable with strangers. Because we can connect with “why” you thought that, did that, said that, believed that, hoped for that, etc....

This is a connecting-why. But then there’s a reason-why too.