When Good Gals or Guys Get MAD! (Part one of a three part series)
I believed I was a strong Christian woman who loved Jesus, but this current struggle with anger had me worried. Incredibly worried.
Each time I thought of that adulterous woman and my husband together, my hands clenched into fists, my eyes filled with tears, and my nice Christian heart turned a shade blacker. My previously gentle personality now exuded something akin to hatred. A stranger emerged within my soul, one I did not recognize.
I knew and understood Luke 6:37 completely. Forgive, and you will be forgiven was not a new concept, but never in my thirty years of Christianity had it been put to such a test. Though I wholeheartedly begged God to help me forgive, I could not understand the anger that surged so readily. I expected my prayers to bring control instead of this raging river of emotion. Did this mean I had not forgiven?
In my confusion I turned to Scripture to study this enigma called anger. My counselor assured me anger was a reasonable human emotion given the circumstances, but what did the Bible say? Like finding treasure in an ancient ruin, I felt I had unearthed pure gold.
In Matthew 21:14-16 Jesus demonstrated anger in a shocking display. To discover the temple of God used as a common day market infuriated Him.
Imagine if you will…the soft-spoken Jesus with a whip in hand.
Sheep bleat and oxen scatter as a crack splits the muggy air. With a flick of His wrist, the cage door opens, a flurry of dove wings ascend into the heavens.
Jesus moves across the square with determined steps and grasps a heavy wooden table. In one swift movement it crashes to the stone floor. He does not stop there but systematically overturns each table and bench.
The moneychangers flee in fear; the presence of such divine authority grips their greedy souls. Coins spew in every direction and chaos fills the temple square.
People fight and scramble to gather the money.
His words, crisp and pointed, slice above the din.
Every head turns as his booming voice declares, “My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of thieves.”
Palms open, coins fall once again, as the crowd stands hushed and awed.
One cannot read this account without acknowledging that Jesus both felt and expressed anger.
These few verses painted a picture that brought immense relief to my tortured soul. Anger had a place. The devastation done to my marriage and family demanded a healthy release of this emotion. If Jesus could effectively express anger, there had to be a way to emulate His example.
I realized I had much to learn...
To be continued.
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About the author
Blossom Turner is an award-winning novelist, and a free-lance writer published in Chicken Soup and Kernels of Hope anthologies, and former newspaper columnist on health and fitness. A Word Guild semi-finalist for Anna's Secret, Katherine's Arrangement, Amelia’s Heartsong, and a Word Guild winner for Best Romance for Lucinda’s Defender. She has found her home in the writing of historical fiction but is open to wherever God leads. The many 5-star reviews attest to the power of love and romance authentically woven into the Shenandoah Bride Series about five sisters and their five love stories.
Blossom lives in British Columbia, Canada, with her husband, David, of forty years and their dog Lacey named after Lacey Spring, Virginia, where this series takes place. A former businesswoman, personal trainer, and mother of two grown children she is now pursuing her lifelong dream of writing full-time. A hopeless romantic at heart, she believes all story should give the reader significant entertainment value. However, her writing embodies the struggles of real life. She infuses the reality of suffering with the hope of Christ to give a healthy dose of relatable encouragement to her reader. Her desire is to leave the reader with a yearning to live for Christ on a deeper level, or at the very least, create a hunger to seek for more.
Co-author Suzie Zanewhich
Suzie is a certified life coach, leader of emotional health, and resource specialist. She has found her niche as a soul coach.
Suzie finds purpose in empowering individuals to move towards growth, healing, and alignment with their authentic self. Suzie is driven by a calling to live authentically, as the person God created her to be, to reach her fullest potential and lead others to do the same. Her passion is to help others find meaning through discovering their strengths, gifts, personality, temperament and core values.
Suzie is a life-long learner, continuously immersing herself in new courses to learn more about human behaviour, relationships, psychology, child development, emotions, trauma and healing. Because of her craving to always learn more she has earned the title of resource specialist in the area of self-discovery.
Suzie Zanewich lives with her husband in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She has a patchwork family of four grown children, two daughters, two sons and three granddaughters.
Comments 2
Guest - Erin
on Thursday, 18 October 2012 11:59
Blossom, I just found your blog thanks to CD. I am looking forward to reading it. It seems to be a very healing read!! --Erin
Guest - Blossom Turner
on Thursday, 18 October 2012 13:21
Thanks Erin, appreciate your kind words, feel free to share this with anyone suffering from betrayal...unfortunately there are many.