Seek Truth - Don't Act Out Of Fear

In these chaotic times, it is critical to remember that love is not rude or angry, but fear is; and seeking truth must always supersede our actions.

“Anger is something we all feel, and those angry feelings are often beyond our control. I have never figured out how to stop feeling anger. Acting on our angry feelings, though, is something we often can control.

“We can feel anger but still choose to be kind. Fear acts on the anger that it feels. Anger does not rule our lives when we feel it. Anger only rules our lives when we choose to act on it….

“As in the case of anger, just feeling like we want to be rude does not make us rude. But acting on the rudeness we feel, doing what we want without regard for others, and speaking our minds without regard for what our words will communicate to others make us rude. We can feel rude yet still choose to act in love without regard for ourselves.

“I could go on forever about the times I wanted to be rude and was so glad I wasn’t because nothing was as it appeared. I can also tell many stories of allowing fear to rule my life, of being rude, and of regretting it so much.

“During Hurricane Harvey, while rescuing all the people we could, my family came to a roadblock where an officer ran us down. He was flashing his lights and using his sirens.

“We had been driving around roadblocks for days and had been allowed to without resistance. When this officer forced us to stop, I knew he was going to tell us we could not go in. I was ready to tell him that we had been running rescue for days and were going no matter what. I was prepared to tell him to write me a ticket and mail it to me or come arrest me, but we were going through anyway.

“I almost opened my big mouth and was rude based on all my assumptions before he said, ‘Sir, I have an address with elderly and children that no one has been able to get to yet. Will you please go here first?’

“As he gave me the address, all I could think was thank God I hadn’t opened my foolish mouth! Since I waited to act upon my rude feelings, the police officer revealed the truth of why he had chosen to stop us.

“Love always seeks the truth, but if we are too quick to act on the rudeness [or anger] we feel, that rudeness [and anger] will define us.”