Unsubscribed

This morning I am thinking about the sudden barrage of unsolicited marketing messages I have received through my work email in recent weeks.  Myriad vendors of every sort are peddling their education-related products and services.  Well, I have been doing my job long enough to know that the timing of these emails is not at all coincidental.  It’s prime time for vendors to position themselves to be included in one or more of the budgets I manage.  This kind of marketing blitz might be effective, except for one thing.  My budgets are thoughtfully committed for specific program priorities and purposes that have already been determined.  Therefore, these emails present distractions for me rather than opportunities.  They are a nuisance, as I have to filter through them to get to the messages I really need and want to see.  So, I began deleting and blocking them.  It was a simple solution, or so I thought.  What I discovered is that a vendor might have me on several different mailing lists.  Blocking one of their emails did not prevent me from receiving additional emails offering the same or similar things.  Therefore, I took the more permanent step of unsubscribing from the source of the mailings.  Silly me, I thought just clicking on that “Unsubscribe” button would do the trick.  But, oh no!  In some cases, before receiving a confirmation that I was unsubscribed, I was presented with questions, like: “Are you sure?” “What’s your reason?” “Was this a mistake?”  After those questions, other options were presented to me, like: “I’ve changed my mind.  I would still like to receive emails,” or “You can re-subscribe by clicking here.”  There was even an option to “forward this to a friend.”  (Uh, not gonna happen.)  After clicking through all of those hoops, I would get a message such as: “Please save this email in the event you want to re-subscribe at a later date” or “This may take up to 10 days.”  No joke.  Certainly, this process of unsubscribing takes time and intention, but I have gained three wonderful insights about the metaphorical Inbox of my heart and mind. 

 

1.  Just like unwanted emails, there are distracting, unproductive thoughts that seem to bombard my heart and mind at the most critical times.  In particular, it seems to happen at those times when I find myself at the end of one significant life lesson and when I’m poised to enter into a new experience.   During such times, it is important that I remember my priorities and my purpose.  Fruitless thoughts and feelings may present themselves.  But when I know who I am and what I am about, I can quickly determine that “I’m not buying it!”  I can bring those thoughts captive and relegate them to Junk.

2.  Simply ignoring or trying to block out unproductive thoughts is only a temporary solution.  Some temptations and distractions will present themselves again and again in different ways.  Sometimes they are intended to appeal to my pride.  At other times, they target my insecurities.  Sometimes they play to the things I love, and other times they attempt to exploit the things I fear.  The permanent solution is to disconnect, or unsubscribe, from the source of such thinking.  In doing so, I free up more space in my heart and mind for the things I really need and want to see.

3.  Making a decision to unsubscribe from distracting, destructive thinking is sometimes only a first step.  I will be tempted to continue receiving and affirming thoughts and feelings that are not beneficial.  So, I have to be sure that I want to be free.  I have to be firmly resolved that this choice is not a mistake, and that I’m not going to change my mind.  Among other things, I’ve unsubscribed from thoughts of fear and rejection.  I’ve unsubscribed from thoughts of guilt and shame over issues that are covered by grace and mercy.  I’ve unsubscribed from thoughts of doubting God’s perfect, unfailing love for me.  I know that it takes diligence and repeated affirmation.  And I know that it takes time.  The results may not be immediate.  I guess it could take up to 10 days (or more).  But I know that a change is inevitable…a change that will bring me greater freedom and peace than I have ever known.