I was going through some old stuff over the weekend and it jarred a memory. When I was a kid, I have been told I had a hot temper. One of the “gifts” my parents gave me was a stomping mat.
When I was on that mat I could be as mad as I wanted to be. On that mat there were no rules… it was an “anything goes” zone. I remember being on that stomping mat and slamming a stuffed snake against the wall with everything I had. In retrospect, it was a brilliant parenting move. It taught me anger is not always a bad thing. It is important to not just bury it, but find appropriate ways to get it out. If it is controlled, and in the right context it can, in fact, be a motivator and a positive force.
I am reminded of something I heard Donald Miller say a couple of years ago: Anger can provide insight into your calling. It can be a window into what matters to you most.
So what makes me mad?
- Seeing the Huskers lose a football game.
- Seeing our family dog have a better NCAA bracket than I do. With the movement of her paw, she picked six of the elite eight teams.
- Seeing people in “power” positions abuse that power, and use those positions to control.
- Seeing someone take a cheap shot when my kids were playing sports.
- Seeing my kids hurt and struggle.
- Legalism. I am convinced I am less certain now about many theological issues than I have ever been in my life.
- A doing, busy, results-driven spiritual culture that quenches the adventure, the discovery, the awe, and the wonder of who God is, and what he has for us.
I could go on, but even as I list these out, there is some insight into what gets me going, and to things I am most passionate about. What makes us mad is not the only question to ask when we think about calling, direction, and the things we gravitate toward, but it is a good one.
Find a good place to put your stomping mat and list some things out. You may be surprised at the insight that comes.
