mad all over

Have you ever seen a child crying and thought, ‘wow, he’s mad all over’.

I had a dream last night. In that dream, I heard a woman explaining why she divorced a man. She said, “I was mad all over”. Of course, I woke up before I could get the full picture, but her face was resigned and sad. She said, “I was mad at him, because he was mad at me and we were both mad about nothing that matters now. I don’t even remember what we were mad about and I wish I could turn back the hands of time”.

Of course I woke up thinking, isn’t there a song “mad all over”? Nope.

The song was “Glad all Over” by the British Dave Clark Band released in 1964.

Rhymes, but not the same? Or maybe, they captured the essence of what is missing? Perhaps that’s the key to why it came to mind?

You say that you love me (say you love me) All of the time (all of the time) You say that you need me (say you need me) You’ll always be mine (always be mine) I’ll make you happy (make you happy) You’ll never be blue (never be blue) You’ll have no sorrow (have no sorrow) ‘Cause I’ll always be true And I’m feelin’ (glad all over) Yes, I’m-a (glad all over) Baby, I’m (glad all over) So glad you’re mine ……..Our love will last to the end of time……  LOVE!! well, it’s the answer!!

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,…Corinthians 13:4.

Anger is a dangerous emotion. It harms the person feeling it, it harms the person against whom it is felt, it harms families, it harms pets…..it is the antithesis of love. It’s the proverbial chain of negative emotion that rests on brokenness and pain. What if every time we got “mad”, we could choose how to “get glad”? We can. Our emotions are manageable. It’s our words that entrench us in feeling them longer and stronger than is necessary. Guard your mouth, clamp your lips shut and wait until your better judgment can take effect and control your reactions.

Try to take a step back and consider we each have different perspectives on the same situations. It’s possible that they feel angry, too, and think that you’re the one in the wrong. It’s also possible that there isn’t a right or wrong, but rather two people who see things differently and need to see each other’s point of view. Very rarely is it black and white. There are 20 things to do when feeling angry with someone. Great suggestions on this link, please try them all! When we look back on our life, we won’t understand why we were so angry about things that probably don’t matter anymore. Do it for your own sake because anger harms you, more than the target of your anger. It is destruction and sadness for all who are in it’s wake.

Like a preschool child once said, “I’m mad”, to which her teacher responded, “You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit”. We can learn a lot from kids.:)

Just try to take a humorous approach…..like that song, “Who Licked the Red off of Your Candy?”  Laughter diffuses irksomeness & reminds us of the little kids we are at heart.

Own your part of each situation and as Jesus said, “Be angry and sin not”  and “don’t let the sun go down on your wrath” in Ephesians 4:6.  It’s not the feeling, it’s the actions. It’s holding the feeling close instead of letting it go. It’s hurting someone else’s feelings, when it’s not necessary and does not help anyone. We can express our displeasure in a self controlled way that is kind and generous spirited. We can give everyone the benefit of the doubt and the benefit of a response that turns away anger. Don’t go to bed angry, especially not with someone you are sleeping in the same bed with. It’s not always easy, but its worth it.

Ready to feel glad all over, all over and over again?Choose how you respond and make the best of every situation!! See the beauty, in the big picture.:)