Words to Treasure
Get rid of all hard feelings, anger and rage.
Ephesians 4:31
Tiffany stormed up to her room and slammed the door behind her, hard. She was never ever going to talk to her parents ever again. They thought she was a baby. She wasn’t a baby! She was old enough to go to the shopping mall with her friends all by themselves. Her dad called to her from downstairs. “Tiffany, honey, let’s talk about this.”
She shouted back, “NO! I don’t want to talk to you!”
Not talking is not helpful. But talking about stuff in a calm way is helpful. That means no shouting, door-slamming, screaming, name-calling, and other unhelpful attitudes. By talking with her family, Tiffany could learn why her parents don’t want her to go to the mall alone. By talking, Tiffany could show her parents that it might be time to give her some freedom. Maybe they could go to the mall together but let Tiffany and her friends go into her favorite store while her parents waited outside. That way everyone wins a little. Talking fixes problems.
Live It!
Next time you are so angry you just don’t want to talk, write out how you feel and make a list of the things you want to talk about with your parents, friends, or brothers and sisters. When you talk with them, keep to the list and don’t get sidetracked. Have a good talk that is planned and thought out and that puts anger and hurt feelings in the backseat.