Despite the Darkness – All is Grace!
These words were spoken by many who have been willing to allow the Spirit access to deep recesses of their soul. One was Saint Therese of Lisieux. As the young Carmelite sister neared death at age 24, some of her final words included these: Tout est grâce – All is grace
Dark clouds of anger hovered. Agitated thoughts and turbulent emotions churned. I disliked the feelings.
This wasn’t how God designed me to live!
This wasn’t how I desired to live!
Strong emotions like anger, envy, jealousy, feeling misunderstood or rejected—while unpleasant at the time—can become graces in disguise. In my instance, that was true. Like a mirror, my anger showed me something simmering in my soul.
At first reluctant, I realized I must discuss my reaction with a trusted counselor. I am glad I was willing to do so because my wise advisor gave me invaluable insight into the emotion of anger.
Anger, such as I had experienced, is a secondary emotion, she said. Underneath usually lies the primary emotion of pain or fear. She encouraged me to ask God to reveal what lay under my recent anger. That didn’t take long. The searchlight of truth shed a bright light on the underlying feeling immediately.
This insight brought valuable self-awareness. Now, when I feel anger—or some of anger’s less innocuous synonyms such as annoyance, irritation, or frustration—building, I have a choice. I can ask God to show me what is really going on in my soul or I can let the simmering emotion reach a full boil.
In the past few months, I’ve watched a lot of anger on display. I’ve read many angry comments in social media. Within a span of only a few days, I had conversations with two different Christian women—each with a completely opposing opinion—who expressed anger so deep that each eventually dissolved into tears.
Please don’t misunderstand. Anger is a legitimate, indeed a God-given, emotion. The Apostle Paul cautioned his friends, “In your anger, do not sin.” (Ephesians 4:26). Paul did not deny the emotion but believed it necessary to address the negative aftermath of unchecked anger.
Effective anger may:
lead one to take a stand against evil.
motivate a person to fight against injustice.
be a catalyst providing the burst of energy needed to organize a
closet or clean the refrigerator!
All constructive actions, I believe!
Potentially destructive anger may be,
a mirror, revealing underlying turbulence.
an invitation to dig deeper, explore further.
a motivator to seek wise counsel.
an opportunity to forgive.
