Get to the Source – By Aya Fubara Eneli, M.A., J.D.

Have you ever walked into a beautiful room only to be slapped by an unpleasant odor? Yesterday, I fried some chicken for my children. I can’t remember the last time I fried chicken, but I did so yesterday because I had to make dinner in a hurry for them and I didn’t have enough time to bake the chicken like I normally would.

Well, long after dinner was over, the fried chicken smell persisted and it was beginning to really get to me. So, I cleaned up the dishes, took out the trash, plugged in my trusted Scentsy. Hours later, much to my chagrin, that fried chicken smell was still assaulting my nostrils. How was that possible? As I surveyed the kitchen for a possible explanation, I noticed that in my haste to clean up, I had merely moved the pan with the oil used in frying the chicken to a corner of the counter and forgotten it there. No amount of cleaning or fragrance was going to get rid of what now seemed like a stench. Why? Because I had done everything, but address the actual source of the smell.

As I finally got rid of the putrid oil and washed out the pan, I couldn’t help but reflect on how often I see similar scenarios played out in life. You know, the one where the person gets rid of a bad romantic relationship, but forgets to address that there are things within that caused them to be attracted to that person in the first place, so they just go from one bad relationship to another and nothing ever changes.

Perhaps you know someone who repeatedly finds themselves in the same situation. They’ve changed addresses, changed jobs, switched churches, swapped out friends and yet the same issues keep showing up over and over again and they can’t figure out why. Is it time for you to notice the pan with smelling oil hiding in plain view in the corner of your kitchen? Is now a good time for you to courageously address the real source of the things stealing joy, health, wealth, contentment in your life?

It’s easy to sweep things under the rug. It takes courage to feel and understand your pain and to take action. Many choose to put on a brave face and ‘move on’, but any unresolved issues or trauma in your life will always linger and wreak havoc in your life. Be courageous. Face and resolve your pain.

Take an honest and comprehensive look at your life. You owe it to yourself.

 

Aya Fubara Eneli is a best-selling author, Christian Life Coach, Motivational Speaker and Attorney. Her life’s purpose is to empower and equip people to live up to their highest potential. She and her husband live in Central Texas with their five miraculous children. For more information, visit www.ayaeneli.com, like her page at www.facebook.com/ayaeneli or e-mail her at info@ayaeneli.com. 

Pre-order her upcoming book, Reclaim Your Life: Guidance for Wives at the Crossroads and download a Free devotional for married couples at www.ayaeneli.com/crossroads.