Emotional incubator: Insulated but Isolated

Today in our society, kidnapping people has become a norm. Such nefarious act carried out by ruthless men has put many under the canopy of fear. Just a few days back, the mother of Nigerian finance minister, Ngozi Okonj iweala, was kidnapped by a 10-man gang, and a ransom of N1bn (One Billion Naira) was demanded for her release. As I write this article, she is still being held in captivity. Sad!

Kidnapping has become a lucrative criminal enterprise worth millions of dollars a year and these ‘business men” are nowhere near “stop,” as they strategize on a daily basis on how to grow their kidnapping business.

Now, let me paint a picture on a canvas so you can understand and see clearly what people who are kidnapped suffer.

They bind these victims, tie their eyes with a black cloth, and sometimes house them in a dark room, with little or no ventilation. They live in total isolation, far away from the reach of their loved ones, and sometimes they go days without food or water. They are forced to excrete and urinate in the rooms they are captured into. Although innocent, they are treated as slaves and denied their rights to freedom. With their heads throbbing, some die in the process, while others live to endure the pain. With no idea of whether or not they are going set free, they bury their hopes, dreams and aspirations and consider themselves prisoners of the future. They give up their future because of their present.

For a moment, let me address those who are kidnapped or have been kidnapped not by a criminal gang but by “self.”  Yes! People do become kidnappers of ‘self.”

Isn’t it funny how people become kidnapers of “self” each passing day?  They isolate themselves from the world, and at the same time, ask for ransom from other people for their release. They expect some guy or lady to pay the price for their freedom. The last time I checked, the dictionary meaning of the word “Ransom,” means “the release of a prisoner in exchange for something.”  They live in pains but are unwillingly to reveal where they are hurting. I believe God can heal what we reveal. They live with the odor of their past, but they fear stepping out of the cave they’ve built for themselves. They are trapped into living someone else’s dream because they have no faith in theirs.

We know where our greatest conflict lies. We who blunder and stumble in our humanity, we who stagger through our frail existence – we continually wrestle with the knowledge that God has put so much in so little. I believe the very best of us camouflage the very worst in us.

While many of us maybe living in pain, I must be careful to say that we can’t spend the rest of our lives trying to protect ourselves from the struggles of life. They are unavoidable. All men face struggle and the seasons of life, irregardless of their economical, spiritual, or sociological persuasion!

If you become intimidated by that fact, it will cause you to live your life in an emotional incubator, INSULATED but ISOLATED.

Having declared that, we must no longer focus on what can be protected. It is not what we go through that must be closely monitored. It is the pain that we are adamantly resisting- it is the loss of passion.

Look at the birthing table of the expectant mother. It is designed to hold her in the birth position in spite of the pain. Can you maintain your position even when it means that you will be exposed to a harsh level of pain?

Kidnappers don’t see the value in the persons they kidnap. And because no value is placed on these victims, they are treated just anyhow.  What more can you expect from people who are kidnapped by “self”? They are handicapped and blinded to their potentials.  They allow people define who they are, and therefore, their identity is formed by other people’s opinion. Never let people define you.  If you don’t know who you are people will tell you who you are and sometimes who they say you are may not be who you are. No one can celebrate you more than yourself.

I wonder how many people are fighting for freedom. They want to be free from this self imposed prison. Kidnapped by self, they live just another day without living for the very purpose for which they were created. They watch their dreams and aspirations fade away while they Run after mere shadow.

 The truth of the matter is the only way you can be free is to find your way to your creator. Self can’t free self, only God can free self. I encourage you to come out from that solitary confinement and live your best life, the reason for which you were created. Free your mind and fly above limitations.

Gracias

Huntly Anabs