So I'm the type of person that is inclined to think all things happen for a reason. This type of thinking can open your mind to questions. I've found that the greatest insight to this type of person is to be intentional with the framework of your question. For instance... The power just went out! Possible question: "Do you think miniature pigs from France have tapped into our power sources in order to fuel their plan of ridding the world of bacon?" (This would not be cool!) Alternative question: "Are you up for a game of Capture the Flag?"
Now please do not get me wrong. There are far more serious situations that have the potential to challenge your thought life and rightly so. For instance... My child has passed away. My parents are getting divorced. My home is being foreclosed on. My spouse is having an affair. All my possessions have been taken and I lost my loved ones. Each of these situations have the right to emotion and lead to questions. If I were more scientific I could explain it as the process of cause and effect. One of the effects that serious, heart-wrenching stuff can cause is anger. The interesting thing about anger is that anger can make you angry for being angry! Maybe even guilty! But all things happen for a reason. How do you frame anger into a masterful piece of art instead of an ugly eyesore that gives you nightmares? Maybe this will help...
First off, not all anger is a missed mark. In fact, you have the right to be angry about what God is angry about. It has a title as well; Righteous Anger. You have the right to be this way until the sun goes down. Matter of fact, you have the right to many things before the sun goes down. When things don't match up to the character of God on this side of heaven, it should stir up some serious stuff in your emotional mix. If not, you might just be a robot!? But what do you do with it? You see rights can disguise themselves as entitlement or lead you into serving yourself. This is my right, I'm going to take it. You may be under the impression that because something foul or far from the character of God has happened to you and that it is by your hand that change will occur simply because you may have the right. But there is something incredibly saddening that occurs when we take our right to bed and watch the sun go down. Our hearts harden and we miss out on the comfort and love of God. Hate takes residence in our hearts and evicts love. Then hate walks around trashing the place with no desire to clean up the mess! So anger isn't the issue, it is what we chose to do with it.
I like looking at anger as the "check engine" light in your car or the "almost empty" light by your fuel gauge. These signals are there on purpose to help you know when something needs to be checked or filled. If you deny their existence, you are in for a problematic outcome. If you overreact, you may never remedy the issue. Anger is the same way. It isn't meant to be bottled up or an excuse for us to just blow up, both forms are just as dangerous. You probably already know this, but "unchecked" anger doesn't do any good for you or the people around you. So when the anger light is blaring and blinking, consider it a time to check your heart. Maybe it's time to deal with some of the repairs you never took the time to have worked on? Maybe you've been using the wrong fuel and you find yourself continually running empty?
Things in regards to my brother still continue to be a challenge for our family. In many cases we have the right to be emotional and find ourselves checking gauges. If you have been reading my posts you may have a relatively clear understanding of why. If not, please feel free to get yourself updated by going back and reading through. I consider anyone willing to journey through this with us a part of our family and have attempted to keep you up to speed as best as I can. Our family is still not allowed to contact my brother, my mother is still not allowed visitation, and by law we are only allowed what my brother's fiancé (temporary guardian) will give to us in both visitation and information. On Tuesday, March 22nd we had some breakthrough. After numerous attempts to communicate with my brother's fiancé and the hospital, a small glimmer of progress was made. Around 3:37pm, my brother's patient advocate assigned by the hospital contacted me returning a call that I made that morning at 9:42am. According to her statement, my brother had requested to see my Grandfather and my son. They would be allowed monitored visitation. Considering my grandfather's age, my son would most appropriately need to have a parent or someone that he felt comfortable transporting him and being with him while at the visitation. Because of this they asked my brother if he'd like to see his brother and his response was yes. They are granting the request and we will be allowed monitored visitation on a set day and time when we visit Michigan. Although this can still seem surreal and uncomprehending, we went from being allowed nothing to something. We still have yet to receive any communication from my brother's fiancé (however we have received 3 brief updates via Facebook email from my brother's fiance) and our heart still aches as to why. All things are being funneled through attorneys and case workers and this has just given more distance relationally when this time could be an opportunity to grow closer. We have received limited information on Brad's health. I posted the March 16th update on my previous post. We have received two since with the last being Saturday, March 19th. So I will share what I know with you just like you are family....
My brother had a CT Scan at Borgess Hospital sometime last week. I do not know the medical results. His right side is moving more. During his physical therapy time he is being put through training and tests to stand and use a walker. His speech is being worked on through therapy and it is improving. He is also being trained to learn how to swallow and this is progressing as well. This is going to take time and rehab.
The above is all we have for now. So we can ask a lot of questions like "Why is this happening?" or "Why do things look the way they do?" But thinking like Jesus takes intention and practice. So maybe today is a day to ask yourself what questions are you asking? Are you being intentional with the framework? Are you guarding your heart from questions filled with fear and why? Because while we are in the trenches of pain and blindness, there is a process taking place regardless of our choices!
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 Pigs are not out to stop bacon production by cutting off our electricity (at least not that I'm aware of)! Anger and emotion do not hold the power to keep us down. Make ever effort under the sun to right what's wrong. Make peace with your mind as well as others. Replace anger with love... even if you have the right not to! Love wins...
Please continue to pray for peace and healing! We covet your prayers...
Things that give me help and may be a help to you this week...
Ephesians 4:31-32
Ephesians 4:26:27
Proverbs 15:1
Proverbs 29:11
Proverbs 29:22
Galatians 5:19-21
Romans 1:8
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