I Had a father who was a very sensible and sensitive man. He had no trouble communicating to others, at those times when he elected to speak. When he did speak, those with good sense tended to listen to him. He had this funny little thing though, mostly with people who didn't know him well. They would look at his outward appearance and tend to think he was grumpy or angry.

I sometimes get the same thing. I was exiting a carry out pizza place once and walked toward our car. When I got into the car my wife said that she would hate to see me walking toward her in an alley. I asked why she had said that. She said I not only looked angry, but intensely intimidating. I have no idea what I might have been thinking of while looking so intimidating, but I responded by telling her that I was carrying a pizza, and asked her how one looks intimidating while doing that.

I was trading posts the other day commenting on a friend's blog and while enjoying myself, I guess I upset him. If he is reading this post I hope he knows the last thing I would wish to do is upset him or hurt his feelings. I apologize if I did. I have a tendency to come across strongly in print (and probably in person) when expressing my opinions on certain subjects. I wasn't angry when I was trading posts with him but he's pretty intelligent and an excellent writer and he told me that my language came across with a vitriolic flavor to it that I didn't intend.

I regret that. Him saying that to me and something my wife mentioned was enough to make me sit back and take a look again at what I wrote. There were a couple of things I posted, (even though I was enjoying myself) where perhaps less said, would've been better. I like to discuss issues of interest to me and write about them too. In the future, when addressing topics I feel strongly about I will have to try to temper my responses with a bit of sensitivity and practical wisdom. Too often when people get called on something they may have said outspokenly, they respond by saying something like, "That's the way I am." I don't wish to be that way because such responses are just a way of saying, "I don't care enough about how you feel to make the effort."

I do care how others feel, and I will make the effort. When I do have the urge to 'vent' I hope any of you who are regular readers will catch the whine in my ' voice'. (Laughing here.) I tend to try to give most of my anger to God, (and most of my whining too.)

I believe even crying out in anger to God about others is a legitimate form of prayer, because the Psalms are full of such things. Okay, wait for it. I have done this, and then God shows me who I am, and that I'm no different than whoever I'm complaining about, unless they're an unbeliever. Even at that, He always reminds me that the only difference between me and them is Jesus.

The upshot is, I cry out to Him and He takes me to a place where He changes my heart and helps me to come around to a place where I realize (again) that what I need to be doing is be praying for people, and giving my anger away to Him.

Psa 62:7-8
Be angry, and do not sin.Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.Selah 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,And put your trust in the LORD. Psalm 4:4-5

7 In God is my salvation and my glory;The rock of my strength,And my refuge, is in God.
8 Trust in Him at all times, you people;Pour out your heart before Him;God is a refuge for us.Psalm 62:7-8

I waited for the Lord my God, and patiently did bear;
At length to me He did incline my voice and cry to hear.
Psalm 40:1, from Scottish Psalter and Paraphrase