Living with Anger

What does anger have to do with organizing? Everything.

• Angry because you got stuck with all the stuff from your grandma's house and you don't even like it.
• Angry because you can't find your car keys. Again.
• Angry because you just realized that you bought another birthday gift for your sister when you could swear you had already bought one months ago. You just can't find it.
• Angry because you know that the clutter is your fault, but you're too overwhelmed to deal with it.
• Angry because you're overwhelmed and aren't managing your life better.
• Angry because you're angry and you feel you should handle your emotions better.

Wow. So how do we deal with Mr. Angry?

Jon Acuff has an amazing blog I highly recommend you visit. He wrote a hilarious book, Stuff Christians Like, and he recently posted a blog about a Bus. It is quite meaningful and thought-provoking. It also reminded me about the "bus" we drive every day.

I believe each of us is a bus. We have different versions of ourselves inside, the angry version, the happy version, the comical version, the insecure, the bold, etc. All these versions of us ride around in our little bus. The question is: Who's driving today? Is Insecure in the driver's seat? Or Fear? Maybe Content is driving, and I know we all feel better about that.

But boy, when Angry takes over the wheel, you never really know what's going to happen.

We had a speaker at devotions yesterday, Pastor Allen Jackson from a church in Murfreesboro. He said some amazing things about anger:

• Feelings are real but that doesn't mean they're right.
• Riding the wave of our feelings does not qualify as a right. (As in rights and privileges)
• Being angry at someone in unforgiveness basically means you're saying, "I will not release you until you make it right."

Wow. Never had really looked at anger that way.

I guess I'm reminded to forgive. And forgive. And forgive again. Forgive myself, and forgive others. Without it, Content won't be back in the driver's seat for a very long time. And I really do enjoy my day much more when she's in charge.


(c) 2010 Sheri Smith Bertolini