Bringing The Scary Things Into the Light

On moose ticks and intrusive thoughts.

At my son’s pre-primary class, their teacher catches the moose ticks the children find on themselves with clear tape and sticks them on the window for the kids to investigate. When my son came home and announced he would like to do the same at our house, I gave a not-so-enthusiastic, “Sure.” 

Later, as I thought about it, I couldn’t help but congratulate the teacher. I grew up in the woods where ticks abounded and had no fear of them, but many of my friends who didn’t were petrified of them. They’d dissolve into frantic tears and screaming if they found a tick crawling up their arm. But those kids in my son’s pre-primary class are learning to examine the critters as simply another piece of creation. Their teacher is bringing the terrifying insect out of the darkness of myths and exaggerations and into the light where it can be inspected and seen for what it is: a tiny, slow-moving critter that can be stopped with a single strip of Scotch tape.

I’ve learned that the intrusive thoughts that haunt me need to be brought into the light too. The longer I hold them in the darkness of my mind, where other anxious thoughts can weave in, the greater the beast the thought becomes. My mind builds the thoughts into prophecies and indictments on my character; an intrusive thought about the death of my child becomes a surety, the violent intrusive thought turns me into a surefire criminal, and the angst over an unreplied text or email becomes the destructive end to a beloved friendship. 

Yet when I bring these thoughts into the light by speaking them to someone I trust, their hold weakens. They can no longer hide in the recesses of my mind and fester with further anxiety. They are forced to stand on their own two legs for what they are and face the truth: their utter ridiculousness and falsehood. 

No, my healthy child will likely not die because they swallowed a bit of sand with their apple slice. No, I am not a violent criminal but a loving friend, wife, and mother. No, my friendship is not over, she is likely busy and hasn’t had time to reply yet. 

Over and over again, I’ve learned to bring my intrusive thoughts or negative self-talk to those who love me and know me. As I release them from my mind and into the daylight, we take them to Scripture, the goodness of God, and experience to dismantle them for what they truly are. Where I feared their judgment, exhaustion, and judgment, I have received their kindness and wisdom. They have quelled my fears and shown me how beloved I am by them and even more by my Savior. They show me who I truly am, who my Father is, and the reality I am living in. 

Whether disease-ridden bugs or intrusive thoughts, let’s bring them into the light where they can be examined for what they truly are.