Cinnamon Roll

Dec 8

Written By Sheryle Cruse

“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

Matthew 18:6

When I was a Girl Scout, one of the activities we engaged in was something called “The Cinnamon Roll.”

In today’s language, I suppose, it could be considered “team building” or “morale boosting.”

My Girl Scout troop would designate one girl to be “the center” of “The Cinamon Roll.”

“She” would stand and clasp hands with another Girl Scout, who would grab another’s hand, on and on, until the entire troop, holding hands, stretched out the length of the room.

Then, the last girl would start “The Cinnamon Roll…” rolling.

She would move in on “the center” girl, and all subsequent scouts, holding hands, would gradually coil themselves around her.

The activity was not “complete” until the entire Girl Scout Troop had engulfed her. She felt the enclosing “hug,” being the center of the human cinnamon roll.

Each time we participated in this activity, there was always so much laughter. Sometimes, squeals.

And “the center,” while slightly squished, felt the warmth and the human contact of the Girl Scouts wrapped around her.

I’ve often thought about “The Cinnamon Roll” as life has rolled on.

I think about it, complicated, often viewing it through the lens of my abuse history.

I have suffered abuse, mostly from childhood. Emotional, mental, verbal, spiritual, and financial abuse have all been a part of my childhood experiences.

And there is yet another form of abuse that is not as widely discussed.

But it is widely, painfully felt: neglect.

Neglect IS abuse.

Neglect goes beyond not meeting food, clothing, or shelter needs. Yes, that is a part of it.

But Neglect covers the absence of loving, invested parenting and/or nurturing.

Neglect involves when someone does not have the ability to meet needs: the emotional, financial, spiritual, mental, or the personal needs of another person, like a child.

He/she doesn’t “know how to be a parent.”

He/she doesn’t “know how to love.”

You and I are familiar with that cliché. We have often heard the words, uttered as excuses, perhaps minimizing the impact on us.

That is painful.

We are in pain.

But there is another aspect to Neglect, within the abuse realm.

Yes, someone may not know how to show love or be a parent.

But what if they DO?

What if someone knows how to love, how to nurture, how to be a parent, but they are just unwilling to do it?

“When my father and my mother forsake me, Then (Elohim) the LORD will take care of me.”

Psalm 27:10

That is Neglect. And it’s painful.

It’s painful because the message, perhaps, is this: **“other people deserve this, but you don’t.”**

Preferential treatment.

Physical Touch…

“…‘Do not touch My anointed ones. And do My prophets no harm.’”

Psalm 105:15

Physical abuse is typically defined as harmful touch on the human body. The abuse causes broken bones, bruises, and bleeding, in its most obvious and severe forms.

Many of us experience that.

However, there is another kind of harmful physical touch: the absence of loving physical touch. Again, The Neglect.

Yes, it’s devastating when we are hit with a fist, slapped. It is devastating with we are overpowered, for instance, as children, by adults who cause physical harm in a myriad of ways. They are bigger and stronger than the child; they can use force to execute their plans and demands.

But how many of us… need a hug?

How many of us... are DENIED that hug?

We can be children; we can be adults. The need is still there, no matter our age

“Failure To Thrive…”

This phrase is often uttered regarding babies who just are not responding and growing as they should.

They are listless. They lose weight instead of gaining weight. They don’t “meet developmental targets.”

“Failure To Thrive.”

“…‘Do not touch My anointed ones. And do My prophets no harm.’”

Psalm 105:15

I think it was around the time of 1990 when there was news coverage of Russian babies in orphanages. Footage of numerous cribs, containing baby after baby, displayed this “failure to thrive.”

Indeed, some children were listless, just staring into space.

Others were rocking back and forth, sometimes violently, out of compulsion.

Still other babies could not- or would not- make eye contact with any human being around them.

Journalists wrote stories on these orphans, even noting the heartbreaking realities when, upon some of their adoptions, they displayed severe attachment issues, and even struck their caregivers.

In… anger? In… frustration?

These poor children did not respond well to physical touch. They screamed. They went limp. They hit the person trying to do the hugging.

Why was that?

Simple answer?

Neglect.

These poor children only knew neglect as normal. They didn’t recognize loving human physical contact as normal.

And that goes beyond Russian orphans. It is human vulnerability. And we can all be subject to it.

Forsaken…

“…‘(Elohim)The LORD has forsaken me. And my (Elohim) Lord has forgotten me.’”
Isaiah 49:14

Feelings of being forsaken are part of Neglect.

Again, it’s the message conveyed to us: “You are not important enough to take care of.”

As a child. As an adult.

“Not important enough.”

Forsaken.

This is abusive. It’s harmful. And it involves the harmful aspect of touch.

Therefore…

“…‘Do not touch My anointed ones. And do My prophets no harm.’”

Psalm 105:15

It is rejection when we experience someone withholding love and affection from us.

It can be subtle. It can be obvious.

It is painful.

Physical touch is a human need.

Therefore, to be on the receiving end of a message like “I’m not going to meet this need for you” can be devastating.

Devastation involves someone’s willful choice to deny us our need for love, nurturing, protection, and provision.

And that’s yet another unmet need.

Our soul cries out.

He is Our Cinnamon Roll...

**The Most High, Our Father, hears that cry.**

“When my father and my mother forsake me, Then (Elohim) the LORD will take care of me.”

Psalm 27:10

He holds us; He touches us…

“‘Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your (YAH) God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’”

Isaiah 41:10

He wants each of us to experience and feel that right now.

“He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.”

Psalm 147:3

Neglect is a painful part of so many of our lives.

But He desires to surround us with His Love.

He never neglects.

Let’s pray.

ABBA-

We come to You, in The Name of Your Son, Our Savior, Yahshua.

We need Your help when it comes to matters of touch and neglect.

You know fully how we have been hurt by these issues.

You know how we have been neglected by others, including family and “loved ones.”

We ask that You hold us lovingly right now. Help us to feel and experience Your Loving, Healing Touch.

Cinnamon Roll

“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

Matthew 18:6

When I was a Girl Scout, one of the activities we engaged in was something called “The Cinnamon Roll.”

In today’s language, I suppose, it could be considered “team building” or “morale boosting.”

My Girl Scout troop would designate one girl to be “the center” of “The Cinamon Roll.”

“She” would stand and clasp hands with another Girl Scout, who would grab another’s hand, on and on, until the entire troop, holding hands, stretched out the length of the room.

Then, the last girl would start “The Cinnamon Roll…” rolling.

She would move in on “the center” girl, and all subsequent scouts, holding hands, would gradually coil themselves around her.

The activity was not “complete” until the entire Girl Scout Troop had engulfed her. She felt the enclosing “hug,” being the center of the human cinnamon roll.

Each time we participated in this activity, there was always so much laughter. Sometimes, squeals.

And “the center,” while slightly squished, felt the warmth and the human contact of the Girl Scouts wrapped around her.

I’ve often thought about “The Cinnamon Roll” as life has rolled on.

I think about it, complicated, often viewing it through the lens of my abuse history.

I have suffered abuse, mostly from childhood. Emotional, mental, verbal, spiritual, and financial abuse have all been a part of my childhood experiences.

And there is yet another form of abuse that is not as widely discussed.

But it is widely, painfully felt: neglect.

Neglect IS abuse.

Neglect goes beyond not meeting food, clothing, or shelter needs. Yes, that is a part of it.

But Neglect covers the absence of loving, invested parenting and/or nurturing.

Neglect involves when someone does not have the ability to meet needs: the emotional, financial, spiritual, mental, or the personal needs of another person, like a child.

He/she doesn’t “know how to be a parent.”

He/she doesn’t “know how to love.”

You and I are familiar with that cliché. We have often heard the words, uttered as excuses, perhaps minimizing the impact on us.

That is painful.

We are in pain.

But there is another aspect to Neglect, within the abuse realm.

Yes, someone may not know how to show love or be a parent.

But what if they DO?

What if someone knows how to love, how to nurture, how to be a parent, but they are just unwilling to do it?

“When my father and my mother forsake me, Then (Elohim) the LORD will take care of me.”

Psalm 27:10

That is Neglect. And it’s painful.

It’s painful because the message, perhaps, is this: “other people deserve this, but you don’t.”

Preferential treatment.

Physical Touch…

“…‘Do not touch My anointed ones. And do My prophets no harm.’”

Psalm 105:15

Physical abuse is typically defined as harmful touch on the human body. The abuse causes broken bones, bruises, and bleeding, in its most obvious and severe forms.

Many of us experience that.

However, there is another kind of harmful physical touch: the absence of loving physical touch. Again, The Neglect.

Yes, it’s devastating when we are hit with a fist, slapped. It is devastating with we are overpowered, for instance, as children, by adults who cause physical harm in a myriad of ways. They are bigger and stronger than the child; they can use force to execute their plans and demands.

But how many of us… need a hug?

How many of us... are DENIED that hug?

We can be children; we can be adults. The need is still there, no matter our age

“Failure To Thrive…”

This phrase is often uttered regarding babies who just are not responding and growing as they should.

They are listless. They lose weight instead of gaining weight. They don’t “meet developmental targets.”

“Failure To Thrive.”

“…‘Do not touch My anointed ones. And do My prophets no harm.’”

Psalm 105:15

I think it was around the time of 1990 when there was news coverage of Russian babies in orphanages. Footage of numerous cribs, containing baby after baby, displayed this “failure to thrive.”

Indeed, some children were listless, just staring into space.

Others were rocking back and forth, sometimes violently, out of compulsion.

Still other babies could not- or would not- make eye contact with any human being around them.

Journalists wrote stories on these orphans, even noting the heartbreaking realities when, upon some of their adoptions, they displayed severe attachment issues, and even struck their caregivers.

In… anger? In… frustration?

These poor children did not respond well to physical touch. They screamed. They went limp. They hit the person trying to do the hugging.

Why was that?

Simple answer?

Neglect.

These poor children only knew neglect as normal. They didn’t recognize loving human physical contact as normal.

And that goes beyond Russian orphans. It is human vulnerability. And we can all be subject to it.

Forsaken…

“…‘(Elohim)The LORD has forsaken me. And my (Elohim) Lord has forgotten me.’” Isaiah 49:14

Feelings of being forsaken are part of Neglect.

Again, it’s the message conveyed to us: “You are not important enough to take care of.”

As a child. As an adult.

“Not important enough.”

Forsaken.

This is abusive. It’s harmful. And it involves the harmful aspect of touch.

Therefore…

“…‘Do not touch My anointed ones. And do My prophets no harm.’”

Psalm 105:15

It is rejection when we experience someone withholding love and affection from us.

It can be subtle. It can be obvious.

It is painful.

Physical touch is a human need.

Therefore, to be on the receiving end of a message like “I’m not going to meet this need for you” can be devastating.

Devastation involves someone’s willful choice to deny us our need for love, nurturing, protection, and provision.

It’s painful because the message, perhaps, is this: **“other people deserve this, but you don’t.”**

“…‘(Elohim)The LORD has forsaken me. And my (Elohim) Lord has forgotten me.’”
Isaiah 49:14

**The Most High, Our Father, hears that cry.**