Excrementum ~ The Path To Spiritual Detoxification

Excrementum
 latin origin
from excernere 
to sift out, excrete

Elimination

the complete removal

 or destruction of something

the expulsion of waste

~my friend Dictionary.com

Poop Cafe

I would say that my husband graciously tolerates most of my shenanigans as you can see by the thrilled expression on his face in this photograph.  (the word embrace might be a bit of a stretch!)


A while back I had this great idea to take my nephews out for dessert at the Poop Cafe.



You sit on toilet seats as they serve water to you in urinal shaped cups - which I admit we found a little disturbing.  You know you have gone too far when Caleb and Xander actually think something is over the top!  If you can get past the unique decor the novelty desserts are actually quite delicious.

Coffee Crisp Waffles with Whipped & Ice Cream

I believe we have Dr Oz and Oprah to thank for putting poop on the map.  

Elimination is not only essential for our physical well-being but is imperative for our spiritual health.  

Fruit Loop Sprinkled Donut Strawberry Wafer Milkshake

We can add exercise to our daily routine and chia seeds to our organic coconut kefir but without eliminating particular foods or habits our bodies will fail to function at optimal capacity.  The same principle applies when it comes to the state of our soul.

If we commence each day with a steady diet of prayer and scripture yet still neglect to sift and remove the unnecessary toxic thoughts, words and emotions we will continue to live distracted, disconnected and consumed by everything but Christ.

What or who
consumes

you?

Excrementum may not be trending sermon material but I have come to the conclusion that this discipline plays an essential role in the path to true transformation.

Learning to let go has been a major component of My Philippians Detox over the past six months.  Rule of Life 2018 My Philippians Detox

I confess that this discipline does not come easy for me which is probably why it has taken me so long to write to you about this journey.

The definition of elimination says it all.  I don't know about you but I no longer want to live semi-stressed anymore - I want it completely eradicated.  Christ longs for us to be set free so that nothing prevents us from abiding in His love. 

Although the act of letting go has been an area of struggle for me I have also come to appreciate it as a significant strength in my life.  Failing to let go is what makes me a loyal friend and is what enables me to persevere in prayer and endure difficult circumstances.  However, sometimes when we don't surrender our strengths they can also become areas that hinder us from living fully in Christ.
  

Failure to surrender

 our strengths to God

 can lead to strongholds

 that keep us from living

 in the freedom of Christ.

WARNING!  Things will get worse before you see the light!

As I embarked on this discovery into the spiritual realm of elimination it appeared to exacerbate the issue that I struggled with in the first place.  When the anxiety would return after a descent attempt to let it go I would beat myself up with guilt for failing to surrender and trust in God.  This in turn created further stress to obsess about.  I found myself stuck in this vicious cycle tempted to abandon this practice altogether. This Rule of life was going nowhere fast.

Then I made what was perhaps the most critical decision in this process.  I was no longer going to beat myself up, judge or determine the end product of this journey.  

I gave myself permission to learn, to delight in the discovery of Christ as I unravelled this precious gift of elimination.

It was then that something beautiful and unexpected happened.

Instead of the shame that I usually experienced during this time of self-examination and elimination, I noticed that I found myself delighting in the joyful exploration of encountering Christ.

I would eagerly await each new day to see what God was going to reveal next.  I even found myself being kind and gracious to myself when I received correction or a nudge when I missed the mark.  This was huge for me.

Don't get me wrong - I wasn't nominating myself for Zen Master of the year or anything quite yet - but there was something significant taking place.

Let go of

 letting go

 and
 enjoy Christ

As I let go of letting go I discovered Christ in the midst of it all.

Ironic isn't it!

Thank you, Lord, for the precious gift of elimination.

Next time I will share my Let Go and Live List from my Philippians Detox Pilgrimage. 

This list is a personal collection of revelations or nudges during this journey so far that I hope will be a helpful resource for you as well.  I think you will find a few things on this list that may surprise you.  So stay tuned - we can detox our souls together as we sift and let go of the things that distract from living fully in Christ.

~

I would love to have you join us on this Camino together at arils and castles.  Feel free to subscribe at the top of this page to have posts sent directly to your inbox or leave a comment so we can encourage one another along the way.  

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Let us cultivate the seeds that nourish our interior castle.

May we be attentive to the unfolding of the beauty of our Beloved so that we may live every day overflowing with the fullness of Christ.

Thank you for stopping by and making this Castle your home.