When I share a certain and personal concern of mine with my mother,
she often laughs and jokes about her aunt, a preacher’s wife, who reportedly
pleaded in her daily prayers “Lord, and please don’t let me be mean today”.
That used to rub me the wrong way because I believed that
once you’re aware of a behavioral issue, you can (and should!) change it. If
you know you’re mean, just stop being mean for goodness sakes! What I know now
that I didn’t know then is that she WAS changing it…and she knew that she
couldn’t do it alone. I regularly beg God for the same…and one night when I
realized it, I thought of my great-aunt and my Mother’s laughter.
Dear God, please help me be nice and kind and PLEASE don’t let me be
mean to anybody!
My prayerful request is a little more expressive, a little
more of a soulful cry for help, and it is never relegated only to my nightly
prayers, but whispered with sincere reverence throughout the day.
Here I must confess that I have a terrible temper. I believe
it’s genetic and I have it pure and true from both sides of my family. It is,
for me, a huge accomplishment that I can keep my temper in check…even when I
lose it, it’s still of a much lesser intensity than I actually feel…and I
believe that’s progress. I don’t scream, throw things or destroy everything I
can get my hands on…and I now believe that I don’t even believe in the death penalty anymore…oh, I’m one conflicted human being!
There are two main reasons I want to control my temper.
Number 1, I know what it feels like to be on the receiving end of unabated rage.
I never want to hurt anybody – especially someone I love and care for.
Secondly, I believe that not being in control of yourself represents the lowest
and most base form of humanity…so I fear that my second reason stems more from
a sense of classicism and ego than purity of heart; we don’t behave like that. We don’t do that. Educated people don’t act
like that. Christian people don’t do that. Only rednecks act that way.(sounds pretty judgmental as I proofread and make final edits...) Take the
high road… the voice in my head is clear. I am not permitted to behave in
ways that may be consistent with the way I feel, especially as related to anger
or anything of a “base” nature, regardless of my sense of self-righteous
indignation, justifiable anger or witness of systematic abuses. I have to
control myself. And most of the time, I do.
It’s a constant struggle and I always fight with myself (not
fighting with others, just against myself with the same amount of vitriol…is
that OK? Anyway – I digress) and what always happens is that I get even madder.
Why is it that some people can act in any way they please;
spew hate, judgment, vengeance, etc., and they seem to not only be permitted
that freedom, but they are often supported and encouraged? Why do I have to be
better? Am I not human? May I not unleash the fury of my own anger and
indignation without suffering the consequences as so many other people are allowed? (...you're not everybody else...)
All I can do is use my voice in the most controlled manner
possible to share the way I feel. I can write. I can share. I can try to empower, love and uplift others. All I can do is to control what I
can control…and the only thing that fits that criterion is me.
The most important
thing? The thing that gives me hope, strength and peace?
“Dear Lord, please help me be good and nice and dear Lord PLEASE don’t
let me be mean. I really want to be good. Please help me. I want to follow you. I ask this in Jesus name, Amen.”
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