Something has happened, just now,
or as a memory, where the instant reaction is, or was, anger. Perhaps what
precipitated it were feelings of downright hurt or inexplicable injustice.
Right now, though, the inner storm brews and there’s strong reckoning to
discharge upon grounds for abuse.
What do we do with such moments?
We all have them.
The temptation, and of course
we’ve done it so often, is to give expression to our fury. We let loose;
somehow believing our anger will bring justice or it might make us feel better.
Anger, however, is a lesson; one
ever difficult to learn. Anger’s lesson is we’re blessed to hold the moment.
What Does ‘Holding The Moment’ Mean?
Somehow beside ourselves in our
emotional moments, there’s an ally that speaks for us, when we cannot reliably
speak for ourselves; when things have become too tenuous; as we’re betwixt with
confusing, perplexing, overwhelming emotion.
Somehow within the inner storm
there’s a quiet voice we can connect with. As we give validity to this voice we
make invitation. The voice teaches us calmness beyond reason, for why—in our
reasonable minds—would we be calm when rage boils within us? This reasonability
is a trick, however. The voice helping us to calmness is actually the reasonable voice—fathoms more reasonable than the
voice compelling us to let fly with our scourge.
Holding the moment is holding a
storm, containing it, protecting us and vulnerable others from the effects of
its potential. Like containing a hurricane within a glass jar, its lid firmly
attached, we may now appreciate the wonder of the power within that storm. It
can be viewed, safely.
The wonderful thing about holding
the moment is we only need to do it once, successfully, and we’re inspired to
do it again and again. We watch for the next moment where visceral annoyance
claims our heart and mind... we do nothing; we let it sit.
Good Reason For Doing Nothing
Many of us have operated under the
wrong assumption, that expressing our anger just as it comes is a healthy response.
It’s only partly correct. We must express our anger, giving it some semblance
of voice. But this is easily done in a controlled, unemotional manner; without
the costs in terms of abuse and damage.
In the moment of our anger there’s
good reason in doing nothing.
We’ll be rewarded, later, for our
insight of wisdom to delay what our instincts told us to do. Even a short time
later, fresh perspective comes. A better mode of action comes to our awareness.
We should wait for our emotions to subside.
Momentary delay when we’re angry
proves to be a God-send. It’s better to be thankful to God for the patience of
grace than to inflict hurt and regret it soon after.
© 2012 S. J. Wickham.
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