The end of a matter is better than
its beginning, and patience is better than pride. Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit,
for anger resides in the lap of fools.
Ecclesiasties 7:8-9
How do your control your
actions, your anger, your patience – especially with those you love?
Recently, I heard
about a wonderful couple. This extraordinary man and woman had been married for
more than 60 years. Through the years they shared everything. They had talked
about everything. They kept no secrets from each other . . . except one. It
seems the little old woman had a shoe box in the top of her closet that she had
warned her husband never to open or ask her about.
For all of those
years he never thought about the box. But, then one day the old woman got very
sick and the doctor said she would not recover. In trying to settle their
affairs, her old husband slowly took down the shoe box and brought it to his
wife's bedside.
She agreed that it was time he should know what was in the box. When he
opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totaling $95,000.
He was astonished. “When we were to be married,” she explained, “my grandmother
told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me
that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a
little doll.”
The old man was so moved. Tears ran down his face. There were only two precious
dolls in the box! She had only been angry with him two times in all those years
of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness.
“Darling,” he said,
“that explains the dolls, but what about all this money? Where did it come
from?”
“Oh, that,” she
said, “that's the money I made from selling all the other dolls.”
How do we control
our actions, our anger, our patience – especially with those we love? How do we
create a life worthy of the Lord, worthy of our family? It begins at the
beginning.
It begins with you
and what resides deep within you. Just remember this simple wisdom:
- Watch your thoughts; they become words.
- Watch your words; they become actions.
- Watch your actions; they become habits.
- Watch your habits; they become character.
- Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
Yes, there is a direct relationship between you thoughts and
your destiny. The old woman knew this every time she made one of her dolls. She
controlled her anger and her pride and allowed patience to win the day.
But, don’t go it alone. No! Because if the Lord Jesus does
not reside within you, then you will not carry the strength necessary to expel all
the negativity, self-centeredness, and fear that worms its way into your daily
life.
Invite the Lord into your heart and mind and then your
thoughts and emotions will forever gravitate toward everything that is good.
Your destiny will be shaped by a loving God who wants you to have a glorious
life with Him.
