Eaten Alive
July 11, 2022
July 11, 2022
I was out at my sister’s acreage on Saturday and I realize the thing I miss most about living in British Columbia is minimal mosquitos. I spent maybe an hour outside at the Land (this is what we call my sister’s property) and the mosquitos were swarming me! If I was standing, walking or sitting it did not matter the swarm just followed me around. Off did not seem to repel them as well as they claim to and my legs were literally eaten alive!
I also must have gotten an allergy to them because my legs had huge red splotches on them. The itchiness was so overwhelming it was all I could think of on the way home. We sprayed my legs, back and arms with Bactine when I got home and by the time I went to bed the red splotches were gone, however, the bites were not. Each day I have had to spray myself again and I counted over 50 bites. Today I have still been itchy and the bumps are still there.
Why do I share this? I could be sharing it just so you all can feel my pain with me, however, the real reason is that it got me thinking about the things that eat us alive inside. Anger, resentment, offence, bitterness, unforgiveness, and hatred all hang out in this camp. Each of them finds a nice place to take up shop. They suck you dry, stealing your joy, your peace and your vibrancy, leaving you a mess! It takes a toll on you, your relationships, and your work.
I have a lot to say on this topic so instead of shoving it into an extremely long article no one wants to read we will talk about it in snippets in a series. The first thing I would like to say is that no one is immune to this problem. Some people deal with anger better than others, however, we all experience anger in our lives and the better we know how to handle it the better off we will be in the long run. If you are reading this and thinking to yourself…I don’t have an anger problem, ask someone else! We are not always good at acknowledging things about ourselves, even when we can pinpoint them in other people's lives.
The second thing I wanted to say is that these things eat at you many times without you realizing it at first. However, once it starts rearing its ugly head you are aware of its presence, but the thing that caused the anger in the first place is long gone. The aftermath of it still remains. Letting anger go quickly and easily, is your best shot at not letting it eat you from the inside out.
Personal Note: Anger is not easy to talk about, let alone deal with. Each part of this series will deal with another aspect of anger. If you are in the angry boat, know you are not alone.
I also must have gotten an allergy to them because my legs had huge red splotches on them. The itchiness was so overwhelming it was all I could think of on the way home. We sprayed my legs, back and arms with Bactine when I got home and by the time I went to bed the red splotches were gone, however, the bites were not. Each day I have had to spray myself again and I counted over 50 bites. Today I have still been itchy and the bumps are still there.
Why do I share this? I could be sharing it just so you all can feel my pain with me, however, the real reason is that it got me thinking about the things that eat us alive inside. Anger, resentment, offence, bitterness, unforgiveness, and hatred all hang out in this camp. Each of them finds a nice place to take up shop. They suck you dry, stealing your joy, your peace and your vibrancy, leaving you a mess! It takes a toll on you, your relationships, and your work.
I have a lot to say on this topic so instead of shoving it into an extremely long article no one wants to read we will talk about it in snippets in a series. The first thing I would like to say is that no one is immune to this problem. Some people deal with anger better than others, however, we all experience anger in our lives and the better we know how to handle it the better off we will be in the long run. If you are reading this and thinking to yourself…I don’t have an anger problem, ask someone else! We are not always good at acknowledging things about ourselves, even when we can pinpoint them in other people's lives.
The second thing I wanted to say is that these things eat at you many times without you realizing it at first. However, once it starts rearing its ugly head you are aware of its presence, but the thing that caused the anger in the first place is long gone. The aftermath of it still remains. Letting anger go quickly and easily, is your best shot at not letting it eat you from the inside out.
Personal Note: Anger is not easy to talk about, let alone deal with. Each part of this series will deal with another aspect of anger. If you are in the angry boat, know you are not alone.
