As a child, I wasn't a cronic fit thrower but every once in a while when things didn't go my way I could put on quite a show. When one of these show-stopping performances ensued, my mom would firmly take hold of my arm and with a low, almost other-earthly voice she would say to me, "I am NOT going to have fit-throwing in this house!" I would get some sort of "punishment meets the crime" consequence, recollect my wits, do some sort of recompence and life would move on.
Today I began to remember dear friends that I haven't seen for some time. I spent several moments trying to recall why we lost touch. Some fell into the "Life Events" category: high school and college graduations, career and geographical moves, marriage or divorce, etc. Others were in the "Different Life Choices" category: prison (for reals), addictions, leaving the faith, etc. Then others sort of fell into this weird category that I decided to call "Fits and Throes."
I realized that there are adults who have never grown out of throwing fits. They may not scream, throw themselves about or hold their breath but if, by chance, you don't see things their way - the world in which the two of you co-exist comes to a bitter end. If things don't go their way at work, they quit - even when it means walking away from work that they genuinely love and are good at. Sometimes having to eat a healthy slice of humble pie when they realize they've made a mistake.
Oddly enough we humans always find a way to justify our actions, even if it makes sense only in our own mind. We are geniuses at manipulation. In the end we are usually just manipulating ourselves, our belief systems, our boundaries, etc to embrace something/someone/someplace that we want.
My heart became sad for a moment when I realized that the sins that seperate us from following Christ: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, are the root of our unhealthy behaviors, including "adult fit-throwing". Hmmm... Those areas (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life) cover a lot of territory.
Fits & Throes - food for thought
Today I began to remember dear friends that I haven't seen for some time. I spent several moments trying to recall why we lost touch. Some fell into the "Life Events" category: high school and college graduations, career and geographical moves, marriage or divorce, etc. Others were in the "Different Life Choices" category: prison (for reals), addictions, leaving the faith, etc. Then others sort of fell into this weird category that I decided to call "Fits and Throes."
I realized that there are adults who have never grown out of throwing fits. They may not scream, throw themselves about or hold their breath but if, by chance, you don't see things their way - the world in which the two of you co-exist comes to a bitter end. If things don't go their way at work, they quit - even when it means walking away from work that they genuinely love and are good at. Sometimes having to eat a healthy slice of humble pie when they realize they've made a mistake.
Oddly enough we humans always find a way to justify our actions, even if it makes sense only in our own mind. We are geniuses at manipulation. In the end we are usually just manipulating ourselves, our belief systems, our boundaries, etc to embrace something/someone/someplace that we want.
My heart became sad for a moment when I realized that the sins that seperate us from following Christ: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, are the root of our unhealthy behaviors, including "adult fit-throwing". Hmmm... Those areas (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life) cover a lot of territory.
Fits & Throes - food for thought
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