June 14, 2007

thinking things out

Earlier this evening I had been having some contractions at about 5min intervals. Since I'd been disappointed in the past I didn't want to make a big deal about anything, but I finally went and told Allen about them. In 10 min they were completely gone. I suppose if it was really the real thing they wouldn't have left, but I ended up really kicking myself about it. Allen muscle tested to see if we could figure out what had made them stop so suddenly and best we could tell it was anxiety on my part. Yeah, I know. Labor waits for no woman, and if anxiety kept women from going into labor there would be a lot more teenagers in utero. Still, sometimes it's seemed that it's been all I could do to keep going and then (bang!) I slip up and things completely stall out. Frustrating in the extreme. Of course I feel like God's getting after me for not being perfect, and Allen's telling me that's not the case 'cause God doesn't work like that, and he and I both are just getting more and more frustrated with each other and ourselves. So I'm ready literally drop everything (here, Allen, you be pregnant for a while) and go curl up in the closet somewhere until it's all over when he reminds me that we've got the baby to consider.....It's a huge fat mess.

Growing up things were simple. It was all your fault (no, really, apologizing won't help), and it just sort of stayed your fault just cause that was your purpose in life. I spent more than a few months just sort of being a walking zombie from the sheer, hopeless weight of all of it. But now I'm supposed to screw up, confess, and get on with my life without going through the whole "I feel like pond scum" thing. Right -not what I learned. So it's my stupid fault for being anxious and stalling things, but it's not my responsibility to make sure things work ok?????? Actually that does kind of make sense if I turn my head sideways and forget most of what I ever learned about God (whole also sort of existed to make my life miserable). It's pathetic I know, but there are plenty of times when I still revert to "God exists to stomp on idiots like me who can't keep their act together" mode. Allen tried to give me an analogy about if your mom tells you not to touch the stove and you do anyway and you get burned are you going to yell at your mom for letting you get burned. Well no. But that just meant that it was my fault for getting upset about something that was my fault to begin with. So now I'm doubly in trouble, and this is getting me no closer to actually going into labor.

The really pathetic thing is that in some ways I'd really rather God be mean than good. If He's just mean and arbitrary then it's all poor me, and I really needn't even bother trying 'cause God's going to get me for it anyhow. In other words -no responsibility. On top of that it's habit. It's the way I'm used to responding to messing up. Ok, so I'm getting better about somethings, but it's still a very familiar response. It doesn't even upset me really. When I start following that same old path I didn't start bawling or anything. When you're just one huge conglomeration of screw-ups tears don't really mean anything. It's just sort of who you are. Except I've been around Allen and his family long enough to mostly realize that there's a whole lot more to me than that, but I digress. I know the truth is that God is good and that He's not just waiting to blast me, but that still doesn't fit in with the rest of things very well. In some ways I really don't know how to live around that assumption. I do something wrong, and something I didn't want to happen happens, and I don't always think "Ooop, sorry God. I shouldn't have done that" and then get on with my life. Instead, there are plenty of time when I just sort of....wallow. It's a sad mix of pity and self-condemnation and God with a lightning bolt kind of thinking that tends to take over. At that point I don't really even feel anything -don't want to feel anything. The horrible thing is that so many times I'm not even sure how to break out of it. I don't want any happy clappy "ok, well God is good, so stop feeling that way" paste on a fake smile kind of answer. I don't want to skip ahead to the end of the story without going through the middle, but on the other hand I don't want to reread chapter 12 seven times in order to avoid the ending. I don't know if that even makes sense to anyone but me. I guess I just want to come by my resolutions honestly. I don't want to stuff my emotions or say the right words and not work through what I'm really thinking and feeling. I guess I just don't know how to balance the two. I guess there's a lot I don't know. For everyone's sake though I need to try. It's just so hard for me to reconcile in my mind that I am responsible for how I think and take care of my body and that God is responsible for making things work. I believe that's correct, but it completely contradicts every impulse in my body and brain. Growing up it was all your fault. God did bless and answer prayers (at least hypothetically), but mostly He was the one with a list of reasons not to bless you. After having spent around 22yrs hearing that kind of thinking and only maybe 2-3 hearing anything else I still wrestle with all this -especially on moral issues. I'm getting better about not beating myself up for not getting the laundry done on a particular day, but when it some to stuff like worry and hurting Allen and stuff that affects the baby it really tears me up, and lots of times I revert right back to habit with the added bonus of being to further beat myself up for reverting back to said habit.

Well I guess maybe I need to head back to bed. I got back up because I needed some space to calm down and think through some of this. Hopefully things will get better soon, and hopefully labor will kick in soon.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just a quick fact here: your contractions may not go "by the book". Mine certainly did not. When I was in labor (and this happened with all three) my contractions varied from 3-5 minutes apart all the way to 20 or more minutes. With my last labor, they stopped all together for more than an hour, yet I was still in labor. Strange, huh? Anyways, don't get discouraged! ~hugs~

Ann

Peetred said...

Just an off-topic question, will you be going to the hospital when you go into labor?

Anonymous said...

Your parents must be mortified and hurt at what you post here. Waaaay toooo much information to post on a public forum. I am sure you will eliminate this from being posted and that is fine. But as a casual observer of your blog, it does sound like your parents gave you a wonderful foundation with accountability and responsibility, and you have rebeled. Maybe they did not participate in your wedding because they sensed what I do about Allen and his family? Allen appears to be your god and idol. As someone familiar with those working with abusive relationships, it does sound like you are in one now. I am sorry to say that, but remember later what I am telling you. I will continue to pray for you. You are very young and talented, and as you mature in the love Jesus, may you find many blessings.

Della
I can't remember how I found your blog, but I linked to it from something you had posted on another forum. Your beautiful wedding pictures is what caught my attention.

Anonymous said...

Wow I'm kind of surprised at the previous comment because I have never gotten an impression of abuse from Natalie's posts.
Her writings haven't made me think of Allen that way at all.
The impressions that I've gotten have been of the stereotypical controlling and opinionated mother-in-law and a strained relationship between an adult and her parents (not uncommon when an adult is making her own life and becoming her own person).
While I don't agree with all of Natalie's writings or opinions, I still like her. :)

- frequent reader and commenter, chickening out and going anon. ;)

Natalie said...

Thanks for the vote of confidence Anon. Allen really is a wonderful man. I think maybe I should write some more about my MIL though! She is one the quietest, calmest, non-pushy people I have ever met. Sure she has her way of doing things, but unless asked she's pretty hands off with our marriage. I don't think I'd be going too far to call her one of my closest friends, and I've committed a grave error if anything I've written has lead people to think otherwise.

It's totally ok if you don't agree me too. I wish you didn't feel the need to chicken out though. Even when I don't agree with someone I try to be gracious -probably need to work on that some more though :) Hopefully when this whole hoopla is over things can get back to normal.

Anonymous said...

I know what you mean. I spent my childhood trying to please a god who was just waiting for me to fail so he could blast me. The True and Living God delivered me from that bondage, though. However, sometimes I find that I am still "waiting for the other shoe to drop," and I am constantly having to confess that bad habit to God! He is good, and faithful. In certain areas, though, it takes my heart a bit more time to catch up with my head!

I am praying for you and am hopeful that you will deliver soon!

Natalie said...

I know what you mean about that!