Swimming the Backstroke Down the River of Rage...

Hi my name is Shirley, and I am a rageaholic. Apparently the first step is addmittance. So I am on my way to recovery. Yes, last night I was in quite a rage. Harv told me to watch my temper, and I just had to laugh because I have never in my 32 years even once been told to watch my temper. Interesting feeling. And how do you watch a temper? Do you just sit there and think..."Yep - it's there - I'm watching, and I can see it is brewing like a firey inferno!!!" Yes, it was a night of rage. And really now, this morning I am not quite sure of what all the inner angst was all about. My Bass guitar fell over and gouged a big hole in my plaster wall and baseboard, Harv had a meeting at 4:30 and didn't come home till 9:30. Who needs to meet about ANYTHING for FIVE HOURS?!?! I am suppossed to be playing piano for worship on Sunday and I still don't have the music - and practice is today(and the leader knows I am no Mozzart...I need practice). I was volunteered to be on yet another committee last night, because the consensus seems to be that I don't have enough to do around the church. OOhhhh - that must be the biggy...I can feel the chewy chunks of rage building in my throat as I mention that one. Abby - our most loved and spoiled cat - scratched up my newly painted wall in her attempt to literally climb the walls. And then Harv and I heard her crash something last night, but fought over who was going to get up and check what she did. And as I lay there in bed raging, I thought...this can't be good for the blood pressure!! So yes, it was a horrible, no good, very bad, yucky day. But I survived. And it is amazing what a good nights rest can do. I am feeling better today. I am even smiling as I hear the continual beep-beep-beep of the neighbors rented back-O as he landscapes his yard. He is putting up a garage. The beep is continual. CONTINUAL. It sort of reminds me of the time that I was living in Winnipeg and they started building the Home Depot in the lot beside our apartment. About 6 feet away from my bedroom window. At 6 in the morning. And the beeping, the constant beeping...somebody stop the beeping!!!!! HEY...maybe THAT is when my anger management problem started?!?! ANYWAYS...so today I am taking deep cleansing breaths, thinking happy thoughts, and meditating on Isaiah 26:20 "Come my people, enter thou into thy chambers and shut the doors about thee: hide thyself for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast." Wouldn't it be nice if we could just hide ourselves away anytime there was any inner angst? I have a feeling I would be hiding ALOT. Maybe instead I will just learn to accept that everyone has a bad day once in a while and that is OK. I will learn to laugh at my rage problem. Didn't they always say that when life hands you lemons - make lemonade? Well how about if we are going to be swimming down the river of rage anyways...might as well make it fun and do the backstroke. Just a thought. Water wings anyone?