I’m sure quite a lot of us, tens of millions for sure, maybe a couple hundred million, were slapped across the face a little while ago by the highest officeholder in our land. Anyone who disagrees with the gub’mint is a domestic terrorist, apparently. Also, the “Red Wave” that wasn’t? Or, if you don’t fix the root of the problem, you will get the same result. Sometimes throwing mud against the wall, wishing some of it will stick, is an ineffective use of your time and energy. I’m not saying that voting is a useless exercise. I’m just saying that the problems we are facing are going to need more than voting. In the meantime, don’t let your rage rule you. I’m not telling anyone what to do with their anger, but I’ll tell you what I do.
First, I always turn to humor and enjoy sharing a couple of choice memes that explode across the Internet after something obviously unjust occurs. Mocking the absurd fulfills the useful purpose of blowing off steam. Secondly, I pray for God’s intervention regarding the direction our country is headed. The anger remains, so thirdly, I get moving. I don’t drink it out. I don’t yell it out. I don’t hang out on the Internet and discuss it ad nauseum. I don’t pick fights or go on a rampage or “join a militia”. Those of us who are students of history are well aware that genocide often follows demonizing groups of people. We’ve been through years of being demonized – for our faith, for our choices, for demanding our rights. We must be prepared – via calm, methodical, deliberate, serious actions on our part so that we can survive what is coming. I have a unique ability to laugh in the middle of doing serious tasks. The work seems lighter that way.
We are the enemy – according to our government. Don’t be fooled by the mass media’s use of the acronym “MAGA” (also currently being demonized). It has nothing to do with it frankly. But it does indeed do with what we believe, in that, we live in a “representative Constitutional Republic”, not a “democracy” – two completely different things. Our Constitutional Republic is not functioning as was intended. It has to do with believing that our rights under the U.S. Constitution are not to be toyed with. That document is our authority after God’s authority. No president or politician gets to violate that foundation in this country. Doesn’t matter who’s in what office. We know who we are and what we believe. We are free to speak our minds. We are free to protect and defend ourselves with weapons of our choice. We are free to associate with whomever we wish. We are free to worship how we see fit. We are free to educate our children how we choose. We are free to insist that immorality keeps its mitts off our children. I could go on. The problem is that our government thinks, and they’ve proved it over and over and over, that they are the final authority. They are not.
Working Out Anger
How do I work out the anger? I know someone who was incensed, kicked a box in the garage, forgetting what was packed in it, and was sliced by a sword that jutted out. True story. What I do, by golly, is take on every rotten lousy chore I’ve been putting off. I dump, clean out, and refill the several 100 gallon water troughs for the animals. I reorganize the barn. I clean out the chicken coops and the entire chicken run. I clean up the garage. I wash every towel, sheet, bedspread, rag, and clothes I can find. I scrub things with a vengeance. I weed whack outside, power wash, and then turn inside and start tearing through house projects as if it was my last day on planet earth. I go over my inventory of supplies and pick up some important things. I take more cash out of the bank, fill the gas tank and gas cans, stock up on more animal feed, etc etc etc. Man, I’m tired. When I “come to”, LOL, I am not as angry and I feel more prepared. Because that is the only thing that matters right now.
Being prepared for TEOTWAWKI – which is now, by the way. Barring a nuclear disaster, an invasion by foreign armies, our fight is right here on American soil against our own corrupt government. They can’t print money and launder it fast enough. The economy is in the toilet regardless of the manipulated numbers they publish. There are supply shortages, food shortages, a healthcare crisis, a financial crisis, transportation problems, a manufactured energy crisis, etc. Violent crime is up and any big city is not safe anymore. It’s a train wreck out there and there’s not a dang thing I can do it about. Yes, I wrote my Governor and he didn’t respond. Typical. And yes, I was specific in my request and specifically asked him to respond in writing. Who knows, maybe he’s too busy lining his pockets as well. I think he was just re-elected.
Elections ain’t gonna save us, obviously, and, I’ve been to this movie before. It’s one big sham where both “parties” work together to make sure they stay in power – they just toss the ball back and forth. I can’t recommend either party. I still vote because it’s my civic duty. I still obey the laws of the land unless and until they conflict with either my God or the U.S. Constitution. Until then, I’m going to prep my heart out. The latest focus of many people has been energy – how to keep the lights on, or warm, due to the skyrocketing energy rates and planned outages. There are so many levels of preparedness that you could stay busy until the Lord returns. I think it’s a great way to take anger and turn it into something that will benefit me, my family, my neighbors, and my community. (If you haven’t moved far away from a big city, do it now, even with interest rates on the rise. You’ll just have to downsize, and downsizing is a blessing in disguise.)
How to Cope and Press On
The things you need in order to keep going are simple.
Anger can quickly turn into uncontrollable anxiety, disturbance in sleep, exhaustion, causing all kinds of health and relationship problems. I guard my bedtime routine so that I have a chance at a good night’s sleep. I don’t do any caffeine or sugar or chocolate, or anything that could stimulate me after Noon. I don’t do what a lot of people do, which is turn on a movie and eat ice cream in the evenings. I try to empty my brain of terrible thoughts, fears, drama, and worries before bed. I often pray myself to sleep. Some people I know use an app on their phones that plays peaceful worship music at bedtime. I turn the phone off so that the WiFi or cellular signals don’t disturb my brain. Do whatever you can do, however you need to do it, in order to ensure good sleep. Sleep is critical to managing anger and stress. It’s important for the kiddos too. A warm bath, a good story, love and cuddles before being tucked in at night. Kids feel our stress, as do animals. If either kids or animals are acting out, check yourself first – you might need an attitude adjustment. Be honest with your spouse about your feelings or needs, and work together to bring about a good balance.
Fuel your body with nutritious foods. When I am extremely busy, I might reach for something to address my immediate hunger and it’s often not good for me. Take the time to meal plan for the week so that there is always something deeply satisfying on hand. I know some people think that plant-based diets are healthy, but they can lack the animal fats that quickly assuage hunger and the effect is lasting. Do your own research. Personally, I am a fan of animal-based diets: beef, chicken, pork, cheese, raw milk, eggs, etc. I find that steak and eggs for breakfast rather than cereal and fruit carries me for many hours. It’s high in protein and good carbs – both needed to be physically productive. Not to say I don’t eat lots of vegetables and fruit, but I consider those foods to be “quick hits”. If you are a vegetarian, then you know that beans and lentils provide high protein and fiber. As a vegetarian, consider adding plenty of fats and carbs to your diet. Even if that’s in the form of oils, such as avocado, coconut, or sunflower, add in potatoes, or pasta. Avoid processed foods at all costs. They are fairly empty nutritionally, which is why, when I’m not eating properly, hunger returns quickly while the weight piles on. That’s your body telling you it needs more – give it more nutrient-dense foods. The weight will fall off. Just don’t eat the bugs!
Take time, no matter how busy your schedule, to enjoy the little things. I’ve found if I watch the sunrise and thank the Lord for another day, pray for those in need, and thank Him for His blessings, before I milk the cow, feed the other animals, etc., the day starts off on the right foot. It only takes minutes to set the tone for the day. Watching the sunset in the evening and repeating the pattern of enjoyment, thankfulness, and prayer will close the day out similarly.
Remember: Garbage in, garbage out. Limit your Internet wanderings, social media, the news, and outside influences, to your mind. Your mind needs protection from the constant assaults in our modern society. Try this: avoid all outside inputs for a whole day including that pesky little smartphone. You’ll have withdrawals, but it will be good to see just how much outside influence is plaguing you. Once you acknowledge that your mind is under siege, you can set about to control what goes into it. Limit those influences and take back control of what your mind feeds on. When I moved to Idaho, I had no Internet or cell service for a week or two in my cabin. I felt like I’d been cut off of life! That was a wake-up call. I realized how much I relied on outside influences. I strictly control it now, so that my mind can focus on what is in front of me, so that I can sleep, so that I can avoid a distracted and worried mind. When I’m distracted, I’m apt to trip or forget an important step in whatever I’m doing. Some people won’t think of doing without a television, but I decided to. I do have a computer and smartphone, so that when I want to, I can look up information, but I restrict myself from usage.
Limiting bad outside influences for the kiddos is really important. I’ve seen things that I never in my wildest dreams thought could happen in this country (sorry, even Disney went woke and wrecked themselves). Protect their little minds from the garbage out there. Not to say that you should not educate them about such things. You should, definitely. They need the tools to be able to put things in proper perspective. Protecting them is not the same thing as allowing them to be ignorant. They should know and be prepared to respond using the full armor of God. Kids need to learn this at a very young age, without destroying all the fun and innocence of childhood in the process.
Not to say, anger is not important. It is. Anger is a God-given emotion and when put into appropriate action it urges us forward in a powerful way. An angry Father can use his God-given strength to protect his family. Mother Bears will tear your face off if you threaten her cubs. Let’s aim that anger at things that matter. I liken it to when it’s time to burn the slash piles. You want a controlled burn, not an out-of-control forest fire.
“Be ye angry and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath”. – Ephesians 4:26