The Monster, Ned Flanders and Me

Quick disclaimer: Sorry this is a bit long. This has been stuck in my head for awhile so forgive the wordiness...and oddness (but oddness is a given, right?)...

I am a visual person. Well, to be more accurate, I am really a cartoon visual person. I translate too many of life's doins into some pretty hilarious cartoons in my head. This took on a new meaning with me recently as I realized: I also have a cartoon conscience.

In a nutshell, it's the shoulder devil & shoulder angel concept.

We've all seen it in some form: the classic battle of good versus evil vying for our attention and obedience. There are days I feel like I can almost hear the little shoulder angel and devil bickering (feathers flying, hooves stomping). I've read a couple books recently that have inspired my personal labeling of this little conscience devil as a "monster". To me, Monster is a far more accurate term. He's cunning, intimidating, short-tempered, demanding, relentless and just an all around pain. So that's the reason for "Monster" in the posting title. I fight The Monster a lot (aka "sinful nature"). Give in to work gossip with a coworker? I can feel the Monster purr with delight. Stand up for what is right and I can hear the monster roar with rage. I could go on and on. Unfortunately, the Monster knows me all too well. But, I digress. So you get the idea of the Monster.

Not long after The Monster was labeled and as I dwelled on this more, the shoulder angel took on a more defined form. While joking with Dale one day, I recited back what I knew to be the right decision in a slow, hokey-yet-righteous accent. It was a mix of the Church Lady and Forrest Gump. It finally dawned on me WHO this accent belonged to: Ned Flanders. Yes, that's right. The sweet yet all-too-often ignored promptings of goodness (aka the Holy Spirit) take on the voice of Ned Flanders, from The Simpsons, in my head. Complete with the occasional "diddly". I ignore Ned a lot, sadly. There are even times where I wonder if I finally snuffed him out once I return to sanity after another shameful frolic with the Monster. But no, sweet Ned is always there. Beaten and bruised yet still smiling, sitting on my shoulder; waiting for me to return.

I should conclude with a Weak Sanity Disclaimer (WSD) - I really don't hear voices. But as I often think of the Monster and Ned, parts of my life and this world make a bit more sense. I believe unseen spiritual battles are very very real. Maybe this is how my debatably "Sane" brain processes it all? After all - we are ALL spee-diddly-ecial, right?