Today, I did something I was not proud of. I yelled at someone today that pushed me to my limit. I am not one to lose control of myself often, I worked very hard to keep my emotions in check most of the time, but today, my temper and my emotions overcame me. If you were to ask most people who are aware of the situation, I was in the right. I stood my ground, I avoided cursing, threatening, or carrying on, but it did not make me feel better about any of it. With the anger came a sensation of guilt for allowing myself to speak my mind in a way I found unbecoming. Yes, God wants us to call out the injustice of the world and what is Biblically and morally wrong, but he did not intend for it to happen in this manner. Frankly, neither did I. The shame I felt for my behavior today is a reason for joy. It shows growth in myself, it shows a changed spirit, and it shows that I am far from perfect, but my heart is changing. There was a time in my life when I would be set off quite easily, but I have learned that it is not the best method for handling conflict. Proverbs 17:27, a truly wise person, uses few words; a person with understanding is even tempered. Well, this is who I desire to be. A woman of few words and even tempered, how do I get there? Prayer…..and a whole lot of opportunities. Today, I failed my opportunity. I let myself give in to the temptation of calling out what I felt was wrong, I did not feel proud, I did not change a single thing, and I realized that God is working on me, changing my heart and guiding me in his ways. As for the person I argued with today, rather than condemning, I need to be praying. It’s hard to pray for those who are not always kind to us, but God calls us to love our neighbor. When we pray, the Lord’s prayer, we are asking to be forgiven as we forgive others, so it’s time for me to take the step forward in faith and pray for those who may not be easy to pray for. If you have someone on your heart today that you are angry at, that you are unsure you could ever find common ground with…….join me in prayer for them, it may not change their heart but it could change yours.