Keeping Peace – Proverbs 15:18

Wake Up Call

On a recent Sunday afternoon as I was walking my dogs I heard a very angry loud voice coming from a lady in a car. She wasn’t yelling at someone with her; she was alone. I looked hard to see if she was on a cell phone but no, she was not. Still, an ear splitting rage was spewing out of her.

After she turned the corner I could actually still hear her even when she got about three blocks up the street. What caused it I wondered? This was deep anger piled upon anger over time until there was nothing left but a raging bull.

I remember feeling her poison spill onto me that afternoon even though I was a simple passer-by. Her anger was like an assault on my spirit. For one thing, it was almost as if her anger triggered the same in me. I felt myself wanting to yell at her to “SHUT UP” and not spit out her angry noise pollution on my quiet well mannered neighborhood.

How likely is it that an angry retort from me would have helped the situation? Actually, in her condition, it might have landed me in a hospital. She was out of control but I didn’t need to follow suit. The Bible says; “Hot tempers start fights; a calm, cool spirit keeps the peace” (Proverbs 15:18 from The Message). I’ll stay on the side that keeps the peace.

 

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