Taking the Bait

Thank you for posting this Amy! I have been dealing with a lot of anger for the last week over past offences, and I really needed this. It was such a good message, that I let it auto-play her next video, Overcoming Fear and Doubt, and it too has a great message. So many things she said really hit home for me. She shares a prayer that Paul prayed for the church, and I believe it will help us greatly in dealing with the feelings and emotions that overwhelm us at time.

Lord, I pray that you will give us the power to endure whatever comes in good temper.

I'm not sure how to post the video, but here's the link to Overcoming Fear and Doubt:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fyk6lVdlII#t=1319.10893

Thank you for this, Amy. I definitely needed this. I know better than to react with anger but continue to do so.

Grace

Wonderful article on dealing with anger. It is long but worth the time to read.

www.familylife.com/articles/topics/life-issues/challenges/mental-and-emotional-issues/dealing-with-your-anger

Here is another great thinking/learning article

www.discipleshiptools.org/apps/articles/?articleid=37153&columnid=4166

I met with my therapist yesterday and we talked at great length about my anger. I understand better now that my anger is really pain. I do not get angry anywhere but at home ... I do not get angry at work, shopping, in traffic, waiting in line etc. Only at home. I do not walk around angry and do not feel anger in my heart until I walk in the door at home and see my husband sitting on the couch on his phone. I feel the deepest anger when I am talking to him and he cannot even look away from his phone long enough to make eye contact with me, I feel a boiling, raging anger when he brings something home for HIS supper and then offers me his leftovers, my anger is at the punching stage when he thinks he is being so nice by doing laundry but only washes his clothes (and no, he has never been told not to wash my clothes or towels), or on Sunday when he told me that there was a big rain coming and I should probably check the gutters. When I am carrying in groceries and he is sitting on couch, I could spit fire ... when I am mowing the yard, cleaning the garage, washing my car, etc and he is on his phone in the cool house ... I could beat him to death.

She said that my anger was explainable. I had every right to be angry but that I had to walk away from him when I am so angry that my heart is about to beat out of my chest and find a "happy place". She told me that I would only find peace when I learned to walk around him and not let his behavior control mine.

I probably, out of shame, never mentioned that two weeks ago, I became so angry that I began throwing things ... lots of things. Anything that I could get my hands on. After talking with her, it really was hurt that prompted that anger. That was the day that I was told I could have the leftovers. There were other things but that was the catalyst.

This is the truth, anyone that knows me, would tell you that I am the most easy going person they have ever met. I never rattle at work to the point that I am often given the most difficult clients because I can always find a good side of them to work with. I never anger or lose patience with them. My kids can count on one hand the number of times that I became angry with them (and that includes their teenage years).

I say this because I am betting that there are many of us who are the same as me, they just think they have an anger problem when really they are hurting so badly that throwing things and screaming and cussing is less painful than crying one more time.

Just my thoughts ... I have had way too much coffee today so they could be caffeine induced thoughts!

Love to all - Grace

It is amazing to me how interweaved our feelings are. You have anger generally because of being hurt. To work through that anger we must forgive. Boy is forgiving hard. I love this ministry just about as much as I love Patrick Doyle. Here is a devotional on forgiving.

proverbs31.org/devotions/devo/what-forgiveness-feels-like/