My daughter Katherine is what they call a "special needs" kid. Only they can't seem to figure out what her needs are. She has been officially diagnosed with ADHD and Anxiety Disorder, as well as meeting the criteria for Educational Autism. All that, along with some plain old stubbornness, makes school work a challenge. She is often behind, and gets extremely overwhelmed trying to get caught back up.
Today was one of those days where she had a major assignment due, but didn't complete it. I had noticed something about these types of assignments, and emailed the teacher this morning with my observation. I was not making excuses for Katherine, but rather looking for some information/insight into a possible solution.
The response I recieved was not what I had hoped. The gist of it was that Katherine's problem is poor time management, and that I need to set down a specific time and place for her to get her homework done, so she doesn't get so overwhelmed.
I was absolutely livid! For one thing, I know all about Katherine's time management issues, because I had dealt with it, every day, for the last 13+ years, and we do have a set time and place for homework. And as I told this teacher "Having a set time and place for homework dosen't make her get it done any more than taking that proverbial horse to water makes him drink it.:"
People seem to think that Christians shouldn't get angry. I don't know where they get that, because it is not scriptural. The Bible has a lot to say about anger. It is mentioned 268 times. The word "angry" is mentioned 113 times.
Anger is a normal human reaction. There is nothing wrong with being angry. God gets angry (Numbers 11:10). Jesus got angry and drove the crooked money changers out of the temple courts (Matt 21:12). It is not a sin to get angry, it is a sin to stay angry and to let the anger lead you into doing something you shouldn't. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes:
"In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry," Phil 4:6 (NIV)
James has something to say about anger too:
" My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry," James 1:19 (NIV)
So we shouldn't be hot heads who fly off the handle, at the drop of a hat. However, when we do get angry, we need to take a deep breath before we explode all over the source of our ire (or whoever is close). I admit that I have short fuse, at least with certain things. It has taken a great deal of effort to train myself to tell God first, when I am angry. Please understand that I will probably remain "in training" the rest of my life.
Sometimes, I am so mad all I can get out vocally is "Lord?", but he knows what I'm feeling and what I'm thinking, Sometimes just the act of reaching for Him can calm me down enough to respond appropriately, or not respond at all. Not responding is hard, especially when my mind is reeling with a hundred nasty things to say. He has also restrained my hand when I felt like throwing something. If He didn't, we wouldn't have any coffee cups.
I did wait a few hours before I responded,to Katherine's teacher and I talked to the Lord a lot in that time. I didn't want to be rude or hateful, but I did want her to know that I didn't appreciate her insinuations. I don't know that she would agree that I have mastered my anger, but the Lord knows, I did give it a good try.
How has the Lord helped you handle anger?
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
No comments:
Post a Comment