Emotions and Perspective

It’s funny sometimes how one comment, encounter or expression can completely alter your outlook, for the good or bad.

Scenario#1: You had an amazing morning! Great night sleep after an encouraging phone call, you put on your favorite sweater, they played your favorite song on your morning commute. Then, during your lunch break you encounter the rudest employee EVER at 'Bob's happy burger shack' who proceeds to indirectly express her dissatisfaction of life in general and works hard to make sure you share the same discontentment for the next 8 minutes. Mission accomplished ‘Rhonda.’ 

Scenario #2: You have a sucky morning! You slept through your alarm clock and the next 10 minutes become a scene out of “the amazing race”. It’s pouring down rain and just as you get onto the main road your gas light comes on. You try to get over to turn into the gas station coming up but as you signal ‘Toby’ in the black Mercedes gets a sudden sense of urgency and speeds up. You miss the turn and now you are officially going to be late to work.  You pull in the gas station and a beautiful creation of the Lord in heaven at the pump next to you tells you how beautiful you are. All is well with the worldJ

See what I mean? The temporariness doesn’t make the emotions you feel invalid…but on the other hand it gives way to the idea that we should not allow emotions to validate us.

It’s a difficult concept to grasp sometimes. How do I allow myself to feel emotions without being ruled by them? And how do I know that Rhonda at Happy burger shack didn’t get bad news right before her shift or Toby in the Mercedes didn’t just get an emergency call? Does it excuse their actions no I can’t control their reactions or response but I surely can control how they affect mine.

We were given emotions to be able to experience the life that has been granted to us. The joy, anger, sadness, excitement…. These are all reminders to our souls that we don’t just exist, we live! Even on the whirlwind days, I have every right to be angry, sad or frustrated, but then I have a choice to make. The rest of my day depends on this choice, my sanity depends on this choice, the people in my life and those I come in contact with depend on this choice. I can choose to live in the past moments that have produced my current state of mind, the moments that I can’t change or relive. Orrr, I can choose to deal, focus on the facts and keep it moving! If today’s troubles are enough for today, then I can choose to not let those troubles follow me into my tomorrow. Emotions are temporary but truth is everlasting. Thank God for perspective!

1 Corinthians 10:13