Breathe

Breathe

Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.

SHUTTING MY BEDROOM DOOR did nothing to lessen the saw’s high-pitched whine nor stop the wafting sweet-sour stench of cut wood from filling my nostrils. The carpenters were back, and I was ticked.

Dust as fine and light as talcum powder was airborne, settling upon every surface, nook, and cranny I’d spent all weekend deep cleaning. I hadn’t realized that this one last, small construction task would fill my house—once again—with a dust so floaty and insidious that I despaired ever conquering it.

We were nearing the end of a renovation project that had consumed our primary living spaces for over four months. Until recently, I’d been a good sport about living with a bathtub as a sink and my fridge in the garage. But we were almost done, and so was my patience.

My jaw clenched, I took several deep breaths as I silently began praying, Lord, you know how grateful I am for this new space. We are so excited to welcome friends, family, and others into our home and lives. Please, help me handle these last few days with grace. Help me end well. And with that, I forced myself to let my irritation go, returning to deep breathing as I surveyed my dusty house when the work crew left. I chose gratitude, thanking God as I—again—wiped wood dust off the island, countertops, and coffee maker, making a conscious decision to refuse anger’s invitation.

Our American culture invites us to fan the flames of small irritations and annoyances into a roaring inferno of outrage. Spewing “how dare he/she/they/it” type posts garners attention on social media like few other things, and we are encouraged to take up offenses. We become foolish in our anger, saying words and acting in ways we regret afterward.

What if, instead, we paused to breathe deeply, stepping back from anger’s invitation and turning to God, asking him to shift our perspective? Refusing an angry response is countercultural and unexpected, and our deliberate choice quietly speaks of our faith, a silent testimony of God’s presence in our life.

Lord, help us to recognize today’s invitations to be offended, irritated, and angry. May we decline those invitations with a deep breath. Amen.

-Julie

One Good Step: Practice mentally labeling situations and people who invite you into anger and irritation and, instead, take a deep breath and tell God three things for which you are grateful.