In the process of fulfilling what God is calling me to do, I have many roles. I am a wife, mother, author, and also a behavior therapist for the school district. As a person who has an education in social work and somewhat of a haunted past, I have always been drawn to the less fortunate, underprivileged, emotionally disturbed, and persons who are struggling in general. I have come to some conclusions that have helped me along the way not only be a better advocate for persons with behaviors, but also heal from my own past.
There seem to be two types of internal problems. There are the surface problems and the core problems. Just like an apple the surface would be the skin. The core would be the inner workings of that apple which includes the seeds. As complex humans we all have a surface and a core. When dealing with my students that have emotional and behavior disabilities I remember that they too have a surface and a core. The surface would involve the; noncompliance, refusal to work in school, hitting, kicking, biting, yelling, temper tantrums, and anything that they show outwardly. Often times, I have observed that the surface shows the stuff that the core can’t deal with.
It is the core that I have great interest and concern with. This would be the inner trauma and “damage” that a person or child has experienced. The longer the core goes unresolved it seems that the worse the behaviors become. Clearly there are answers to dealing with the core. There are coping skills and other techniques that allow a person to exhibit self control and begin to be a part of the solution. But what happens when a person (or child) doesn’t feel like they can control their core and experience a different way of dealing with things? I have certainly encountered many in this situation and continue to encounter these types of individuals.
As much as I try to follow the rules and be diplomatic; I continue to pursue the advice of a counselor which includes learning about one’s emotions, coping skills, tracking progress, and discussing results. This has always helped and continues to be a vital key ingredient for a person’s progress. However, as a person who struggled with her core, I feel compelled to admit that ultimately, I needed God. I needed him to come along side of me and change the parts of my core that failed me in terms of coping, talking, tracking. What I realized was more powerful then the damage that had been done. It was that God can change a heart. What’s in your core? Have you considered the divine intervention of God to help you change that core and rebuild or repair?