On Being Temperant

While at our camp on Lake Fork, I was reading my devotional and listening to the sound of the gentle, soothing rain on the roof of our RV, my home away from reality. Reading Joyce Meyer’s New Day New You, I was so moved by her use of 1 Peter 5:8 and the focus on finding balance in our emotions and responses to others. Quoting Meyers : “On one hand, we must not be harsh and hard. But on the other hand, we must not be weak and excessively soft. ….we must not be so mild … that we become doormats ….”. I struggled in the doormat mode of operation for so many years, because I thought it was the best way to live my Christianity. Then a wise minister, Rev. John S Harris, counseled me on holding others accountable and responsible, rather than ‘swallow’ the abusive actions of others, I needed to value who I am as a unique creature in God. It changed my life course as I began to honor myself as a single parent and held those around me to a standard that respected me and became more able to not accept labels, exploitation and hurt. Things could only hurt me if I accepted the words and actions as a genuine assessment of who I am. I pursued my bachelor’s degree and later my masters’. I learned to love and respect myself, even in my brokeness, and live in the love God has for me. It changed my relationship with my daughters and then in adult relationships and eventually in marriage again. I faced cancer and other health challanges through a balanced life and it changed how the focus of how Asking What: No More Why’s would be written. I am more aware of my emotional responses to others, and practice the thank yous to God in every situation, after 48 – 72 hours of course, because God has the lesson on the way to my life. I continue to experience anger, but I do a self check to discover the true emotion behind the anger. I had my first horrendous migraine last week, and knew that within me, I was angry and started the discovery effort to identify the real impetus that led me to choose anger rather than own my true emotion and deal with it. It is only then can I receive the lesson that comes with the blessing and live in a true balance within.