Apr. 2013 Summer 2014 | Page 16

weeks, and I was so grateful. So what did I learn? What is the point to this story? I learned that my anger was a symptom of my inability to deal with my self-created stress. I should have taken up multiple offers of help, and should have cast my cares aside. I took on those cares, and reaped the result of the seeds I had sown. Sometimes anger results out of things that we suppress- that we choose not to deal with- and we don’t recognize it at the time. We think that we are dealing with things only to discover that they are being tossed aside. They never go away because we aren’t facing the root cause of why we are angry to begin with. If we never deal with the cause, then it takes root causing all kinds of issues from angry outbursts, to physical manifestations. What is even worse is that we often lie to ourselves. We pretend that we are dealing with challenges when in reality we are not. We suppress our angry emotions because it seems so “unchristian” to express ourselves when faced with situations that appear to be unjust. We fail to acknowledge that we are, indeed, angry because we are told that we shouldn’t be. The truth is we can be angry with injustice. We can say that we feel angry if we are being honest to ourselves, and others. However, we sin when we stay there, and allow it to affect our behavior. We can say to someone “I was offended/angry when you did/ said/implied …..” and talk it through to reach both an understanding and a resolution. If it is just to vent, manipulate, verbally abuse, etc it should be left for a time when your emotions aren’t clouding your thoughts. When we are this emotionally charged nothing good comes out of it. Finally, we should learn from our mistakes, analyze the situation, and figure out what should have been done differently that should we find ourselves in the same situation, we are able to handle things differently. In my case, I should have accepted help and designated more. I should have admitted to my husband/children that I was feeling overwhelmed because of all the business in my life instead of taking my frustration out on them. They would have been more understanding and willing to help out because they would have known that it was to help me. We would have been working as a team instead of individually. By being open and identifying the root cause, perhaps my husband could have made suggestions, or honestly told me that I was taking on too much. At the very least he would have been there for support and encouragement which would have lifted the burden. We could have also prayed together and over the situation. I wouldn’t have had to face the facial numbness, the sleepless nights, or the wondering if when I talked my face was actually moving. It sure didn’t feel like it! *laughing* Always remember that no matter how overwhelmed you feel, stressed out, or burdened that you take it to God. He is able to move in any situation and make the impossible, possible. Too often we do things on our own strength and we struggle needlessly. God said His yoke is easy, and His burden light. So why would we choose to hang on to things that we aren’t supposed to? Why do we choose to struggle when the answer is just a prayer away?