Weekly Reflection - Warning Lights

Have you ever had that panic feeling when you are traveling…on a Sunday…a long way from home…when a flashing warning light pops up on the dashboard of your car…with an ear-piercing alarm? Something is definitely wrong but what is it?

We were with some dear friends this past weekend and that very thing happened. There was nothing obvious to explain the horrific noise - no flat tires, no other loud clanking. It started out of the blue after getting gas. The manual was no help and the car dealerships were closed. Anxiety and frustration built as the source was alluding us as worst-case scenarios started filling the brain. If only we could just identify the exact problem, then just maybe the solution would be easy.

Alarms aren’t just for cars and smoke detectors; we have alarms in our relationships too. We will do anything to get them to stop but they are also terribly distracting and make it very difficult to think straight. We put our hands over our ears, look the other way, hope it goes away and/or pretend it doesn’t exist but that doesn’t fix anything. Isolating ourselves in our relationships may create a momentary reprieve but sooner or later you still need to discover the source of the problem.

As for the mystery of the vehicle warning siren, the four of us worked together to discover the alarm source. (When pulling the lever for the gas tank, the hood lever accidently had gotten hit as well.) The momentary crisis was quickly averted and we were thankful to be able to go about the rest of our day. The noise of the alarm made things seem much worse than they actually were. Things are often not as bad as they seem.

Do you move more toward isolation or resolution when addressing “alarms” in your relationships?

Does your fear of the unknown tend to gravitate you toward worst case-scenarios?

What are some of your relational warning signs? (agitation, negative self-talk, blame, shame, isolation, avoidance…)

What are some ways you can work out warning alarms WITH another person?

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4