OUR ANGRY WORLD

    Do you ever feel thankful and regretful at the same time? I am so thankful I have found some relief from the absolute anguish of anger that I've had since I was a small child. My regret comes because of the many years I didn't know I needed help, nor how to get it.
    A wise man in the Bible described the agony of drought and pestilence (locusts) experienced by people. But the hope he gave was this: God will restore what the locusts have eaten. That's been a quizzical thought for me at times.
    My wish has always been that He would STOP the locusts - not let bad stuff happen in the first place. But God made all of us with free will. People who were perhaps the source of our pain were flawed folks, not really knowing what they were doing nor why.
    But God never wastes our experiences. He will use every one of them to fulfill His plans in our lives and in the lives of others we meet.
    In the last couple weeks I've had so many discussions with angry people. They have every right to be angry. Others have torn from them the very dignity of their lives...by abuse, violence, abandonment, and more. Everywhere I go I meet people who are struggling with anger in one way or another. It is our national dis-ease.
    Just like me, most of them had no idea how angry they were...until...it erupted and came out against someone they loved, someone they worked with, or the guy driving in front of them. And just like me, most don't know how to deal with it and what to do.
    I have been helped by books, counselors, conferences, and even craziness to  understand my stuff and find some healing. I'm not done yet, but I am thankful. I hope and pray each of us can find freedom during this Christmas season --- exactly what Jesus came to bring.