"In Other Words" Tuesday

I enjoy participating in these community efforts in the blogosphere such as "7 Quick Takes Friday." Being somewhat new at this, I'm never quite sure what will "stick" in a way that will hold my interest enough to keep me remembering to do this on a regular basis. But here's a try. The assignment is simply to write about this quote by Rick Warren below.

“The way you think
determines the way you feel,
and the way you feel
determines the way you act.”
Rick Warren

One of my biggest struggles in life has been to act differently from my feelings. This doesn't always come naturally. In this world, we are often encouraged to "act" in response to our "feeling." Not every feeling is a godly feeling. While the Holy Spirit can and has rather magnificently removed entire layers of "feelings" from me that desperately needed to go, they are a fact of human life and something we all have to deal with.

If it were up to my feelings, I would lounge in bed and hope that my children don't spill the milk too terribly while preparing their own breakfast. Granted, they can prepare their own breakfast, but when that happens, it's usually a last resort.

If it were up to my feelings, I would throw things across the room when I get mad and bang my head against the wall. Literally.

If it were up to my feelings, I would complain a lot and my face would have a worried look about it far more often than it does.

If it were up to my feelings, I sure as heck wouldn't be graduating this year with my long-awaited Bachelor's. As I have mentioned in a recent blog, my feelings toward college at the moment tend toward hatred.

If it were up to my feelings, my mouth would be in much greater control of my life and not in a life-affirming way at all. In fact, I would win all kinds of prizes for my gift of sarcasm, and everyone close to me would experience getting cut down by it on a regular basis.

So I have no illusions that my feelings should lead to action. I must choose how I react to my feelings. Also, it matters how I model this process for my little ones. Sometimes children are glorified in this culture as little "feeling machines," who have feelings and then uncontrollably act on them~~and that they should do so, and that that makes them endearing. I pray I can teach my children how to "Stop, breathe, and think," so that they can choose how to react, rather than let their feelings control them. Will this happen if I do not embody this thoughtfulness as well? Acting like an adult is so challenging. :)

This evening, Psalm, my sweet, precious Psalm who can do no wrong (smile...if you knew him, you'd know that he's kind of ridiculously, out-of-this-worldly cute) took his Transformer toy and threw it against the wall in a rage. Why did he do this? Because Zoya started praying before he did.

Sigh.

"Psalm, give me your Transformers."

(angry look squinting at me from underneath a ducked head as he gathers them and brings them to me)

"Thank you. Psalm, I have been there. I have thrown things against the wall when I'm angry. After it breaks, I feel foolish and sad because I've lost something that's useful to me. I don't want you to break your toys so I'm going to hold onto them while you fall asleep, and when you wake up, you can handle your anger differently."

Exhale. "Okay mommy."

A couple of verses we say a lot in our house:

"In your anger, do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry." (Ephesians 4:26)

which is based on Psalm 4:4:

"In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent."

I often think of Jonah who refused to go to Nineveh when instructed by the Lord. After he spent three days in the belly of a huge fish and was vomited onto dry land, he headed to Nineveh and gave them the message that God would destroy them if they did not repent of their evil ways.

6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh:

"By the decree of the king and his nobles:

Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish."

10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened. 1 But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. 2 He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live."

4 But the LORD replied, "Have you any right to be angry?"

5 Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live."

9 But God said to Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?"
"I do," he said. "I am angry enough to die."

10 But the LORD said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"

I love this book. Lord, remind me of Jonah when I am being like him, failing to appreciate the tremendous work You have done in our lives and the unending love and mercy You show us. And thank you for giving us real examples of real people with real issues in Your book.