Scripture

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

Ephesians 4:31, NASB

Quote

A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back.

~Solomon {Proverbs 29:11}

Bitterness comes from or springs from unresolved anger relating to some matter of injustice. Some where in your past, you were hurt, you felt the sting of an injustice. Perhaps someone mistreated you or even abused you. When ever you see bitterness, there is a link to a person’s past, some dots that need to be connected. Practically all of us get some bumps and bruises in life and we suffer rejection in some form. Perhaps the girl you fell in love with did not love you. Maybe a coach mistreated you. Most of us have that ugly aunt or unhappy uncle that said sarcastic and demeaning things to us while we were kids. Maybe they made fun of your appearance or your clothing. Most of us have been hurt emotionally at one time or another and you have not forgotten, have you? Folks who have experienced divorce feel the sting of rejection. Foster children carry the constant burden of rejection.  These are things you can’t forget without shock treatment and I would not go that far If I were you. What we can do is to resolve those issues by being honest with ourselves and others. Why not admit you have been hurt and make yourself vulnerable to a friend or spouse.

Unfortunately most people are not honest and very few bitter people see themselves as being bitter. Everyone else sees it but they don’t. My daddy was a firecracker and he would go off over nothing. Somehow he controlled himself around most people but not with Mother and us, he made no effort to hid it. He would erupt over nothing. I could work with anyone in the community except daddy. When he and I tried to do something together, it always ended in him pitching a fit and me leaving. I had to endure it as a child but when I got grown, I just got in the truck and went home. I left him to himself and so did mother. I guess I was around 40 when daddy shared his dreams with me and much of his life story. At first, I didn’t want to listen but I am glad I did. It helped me understand daddy. Due to circumstances far beyond his control {his father getting killed in a accident when he was 16, getting drafting into WWII at age 32] he felt a deep frustration. He went to the Army leaving two children and Mother carrying number three and he came back to a son he has never seen and then bang, bang, two more mouths to feed. His dream was to farm but with five children he had to go to work. A friend got him a job at Tullahoma, Tennessee as an apprentice concrete finisher. He finished concrete the rest of his life. It is hard work. Once I was able to connect the dots, I understood daddy’s deep frustration. He gave up his dream to provide for his family. I was never able to pursue his dream.

Farming was my dream also. I love tractors, combines, cotton pickers and the whole nine yards. I dream day for me would have been to go to Limestone country and ride a cotton picker all day long but I didn’t have time. There is a huge difference between Daddy and myself; preaching is not as hard as finishing concrete and I have enjoyed being what God called me to be. I admit, the first twenty years was rough but the last 30 have been very good. Daddy didn’t have that: he worked 8-10 hours a day at something he hated. So don’t be too hard on the bitter; deep down there is a reason. Remember, don’t let a poisonous root of bitter grow in your life. It will bring you trouble. {Hebrews 12:15}

Extra

Some events yesterday triggered my thinking. I lay in bed yesterday evening but I couldn’t rest. I got to thinking about daddy and couldn’t get it off my mind. It is a long blog and you probably quit about half way through. Just send me a bill.

I have struggled lately. It may not show but I have been battling my confidence. I made myself go preach last night. The devil keeps telling me that no one is interested in anything I have to say and that I am wasting my time. I do have to say this, the blessed Holy Spirit hit the override button yesterday morning. I’ve been thanking him ever since.

Continue to pray for those battling cancer. I saw Holly on Saturday but I missed Gregg, he was gone to the lake {PTL}. He and Traci rode out to check on things. I am proud he felt like riding. He and I still want to do that duet “Sunlight” so keep praying. The Calvinist say prayer doesn’t change circumstances, it only changes us but that is not what the Bible teaches and we are not Calvinist so keep praying. Prayer changed Peter’s circumstances. He was in jail awaiting execution. But that was divine providence say the Calvinist, not an answer to prayer. It was both and don’t try to understand it–you can’t. Their problem is-they think they understand everything.

David Orr has surgery this Friday.