51-52 Pages from Griefshare emails 1-90

Expressing tears is part of the grieving process; it is part of the healing.
Use your anger to help you move forward toward healing, and keep in
mind that your anger and tears won’t last forever.


Let your mourning lead you toward hope. No matter where you are in
grief, you can always have hope.


“Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall
asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope” (1
Thessalonians 4:13).


Lord, let my anger turn to grieving and let my grieving lead to hope.
Amen.


Dealing with Anger: Write About Angry Feelings Day 77

As you attempt to deal with your anger, you may find it helpful to write
about your angry feelings. Writing about your feelings will help to unload
some of that pressure because it gives you a way to express your

emotions.

Barbara Johnson says, “The anger comes and just seems to flood you.
But there are a lot of ways to dilute the anger. If you have lost a loved
one, write a letter. That will help you unload some of those feelings you
have.”


Address your letter to the person causing you the most anger and
distress. It could be your lost loved one, a family member, or someone
involved in the circumstances surrounding the death. You might be

angry mostly with yourself. If your anger is directed at God, write a letter
to Him. He alone can deliver you from your anger.

“May my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding

according to your word. May my supplication come before you; deliver
me according to your promise” (Psalm 119:169-170).

Precious Savior, deliver me from this anger. Amen.







51

Dealing with Anger: Bible Verses Day 78

Another practical suggestion for dealing with anger is to draw help from
Bible verses. Dr. John Trent recommends that you start by writing down
an appropriate Bible verse on a three-by-five card. Every time you begin

to feel angry, take out the card and read the verse. Then write the date
on the back of the card and place a check mark next to it.

This practice will first of all link God’s Word with your active anger. It will

also provide a written record of how angry you are and whether or not
you are showing improvement. As you continue this practice, you will
begin to realize that anger is a choice.


“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for
yourselves this day whom you will serve…. But as for me and my
household, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).


Almighty God, grant me the perseverance to follow through on
these anger management ideas and to follow through in a
relationship with You. Amen.


Dealing with Anger: Choose to Move Past It Day 79

Perhaps you are at the point at which you must now choose to move
past your anger and bitterness. You have allowed yourself the time and
opportunity to slowly vent your anger, and you have honestly expressed
those feelings with others. When you are ready to move beyond your
anger, be prepared to stick with that decision.


The night Heidi’s husband died in a plane crash, she prayed, “God, I
know that You have a plan for my life. And I don’t want bitterness and
anger to well up in my heart, because I have two young children, and we
have to go on with our lives.”


Heidi says, “I made a decision that night not to become bitter and angry
about the situation and not to blame God. Sure, I asked why and I didn’t
understand, but I wasn’t going to blame God, and I wasn’t going to
blame other people.”


You, too, can choose to move past anger with the Lord’s help.

52