It is interesting to me that the last word in the fruit of
the spirit is self-control. Authentic
living embraces self-control, meaning that daily we are faced with situations
where we can practice restraint.
Sometimes we succeed and other times we fail. So, when these circumstances present themselves whether it be in person or through our phones, we are in control of how we interact. Teach yourself when to be quiet and know when to walk away.
As I was writing this, I found myself in a situation where I am not sure if I responded correctly and walking away was not a possibility.
Our neighbor was in town and he chose to burn their "rubble" that was stacked in the mix of pine trees. We basically live in a forest; it hasn't rained in weeks and there was just enough wind to cause spreading.
When I looked out my window to see rising flames you can imagine my concern. I grabbed my shovel to help, then asked if he called the fire department, he chuckled. When I mentioned we had a burn ban he chuckled again.
While I was trying to smother the flames that spread to our property it occurred to me that I should call 911 because the fire was moving in several directions.
Was I rattled, you bet! It was the same rattled feeling I had when his dog bit me a few months ago. Once again, I tried to keep my emotions under control, but I failed.
I realized that some people just do not care and when he started that fire, I can only guess he was not thinking about anyone but himself.
So, when I say teach yourself to be quiet and know when to walk away understand that sometimes you cannot just walk on.
In this moment, I realized the goal was to put out the
fire on our property and get help. When assistance arrived, I got out of the way so they could do
their job.
In just a couple of hours I learned that I have a bunch of great neighbors, people who showed up to help in one way or another, even if it was just to listen.
I realized even good people can slip and the importance of managing our emotions is a daily effort. How do we accomplish this? For me, I read my bible, I pray and keep busy. Implementing good habits has become essential and staying busy helps to focus my energy on doing good.
I have decided
to let this go and to not let this neighbor bring me down. Thankfully nobody was hurt, I have forgiven him and myself
for getting rattled. The truth is you cannot control other people’s actions, but we
are in control of our own.
Be encouraged that it is possible to rise above circumstances that are out of our control and it is also possible to have the willpower
to embrace authentic living with self-control. Life is better when we choose to keep in step with the spirit.
Be the good,
Carole
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