Tuesday, December 6, 2011

When angry is the weather pattern

Calm your anger and forget your rage - Psalm 37

I had this amazing conversation with my confessor about my anger. He asked me why I was so angry and what was going on that's got me wound up? I must have had this complete lost and total look of helplessness when I answered, "I have no idea. It's like I wake up and just like the weather is cold outside, I'm angry. It's just a fact of nature. Likening a weather pattern to an emotion, is the only way I know how to explain it." Aside from the grace that flows from sacramental confession which I don't mean to downplay,..... how to deal with anger?

If it's cold outside, bundle up and protect against the elements. If it's angry inside, bundle up and protect against the elements. Here's how I bundle up: I pray. I ignore it, in the sense that I offer my anger to God. (just because I'm angry doesn't give me a free pass to act on it.) I admit/acknowledge/recognize that I'm angry - that one's important. Name it, because then you can place it. Feed on scripture and load up on grace. That's what I'm trying to do and if that helps you then praise God.

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