The Benefits of Anger
Though it may seem counterintuitive, anger carries with it certain benefits. It can serve as a stark acknowledgment that something significant has been taken from us, propelling us to confront the breadth of our loss. Anger can motivate action, pushing us to find support, assert boundaries, or advocate for ourselves and others. It has the energy that, when harnessed constructively, can fuel the journey towards healing.
While being angry with God isn’t right, He could handle my anger. He’s much bigger than anything I could throw at Him. As the Lord worked on my heart through wise council, I gradually accepted that God had a bigger plan that I probably wouldn’t know until I was in Heaven. And even though it didn’t change my circumstances, it caused me to rest in God’s sovereignty.A benefit of my anger is that eventually I sought help, which led my kids and I to move closer to family. Through that, God has brought healing to my heart and opened doors that I never imagined, including marrying a wonderful man who loves me as I am and values what I had with Jon, and being able to open up about my experiences through this blog as one way to minister to other widows.
My resentment towards others caused me to look deeply into why I was jealous of them. I realized that it wasn’t their fault that I was alone, and it caused me to see that I could choose what our lives and routines were going to look like moving forward.
One of the practical benefits of anger in grief for me has been my quest to remove toxins from my home. I don’t know the cause of Jon’s cancer and probably never will, but it has made me more aware of what comes into my house and how that affects our health, both emotionally and physically. By removing toxic cleaning supplies, air fresheners and body products, our bodies have more of a fighting chance against things we can’t control.
Stay tuned for part 3 coming next week. Subscribe here to be notified when a new post is available.
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