Hello! Anger Problem! That’s Me!

By Donna Yearsin, National Celebration Place Coordinator

The view outside my living room window is a beautiful pond teeming with wildlife. There are times when the pond is so still it looks as though it is made of glass. Then a goose or some other bird will break the surface, sending ripples across the pond to the shore. Other times, a fish will jump up from under the water, sending more ripples to the shore. Like the goose or other bird that plunges into the pond, our actions affect the lives of those we love. Over the past nine years, I have seen families come into our Celebrate Recovery meetings with one parent struggling with an addiction, the other broken from strain as the addiction rips their family apart. Their children were scared and angry. Hope was all but lost.

One such family stands out. A dad came to Celebrate Recovery with his young daughter. The mom was active in her addiction and out of the picture. The little girl was out of control. She hid under tables and ran away from our child care workers. When we added Celebration Place to our ministry, within weeks we began seeing changes. During the relapse lesson, Moses tells his counselor he had a relapse with his anger when under the pressure of the constant complaining of the people. Before the video finished, this precious child shouted, “Hello! Anger problem! That’s me!” She was finally able to identify her feelings and we began to see her grow. This was several years ago. Today this once angry little girl serves as a student leader in our ministry and is a true joy to be around. Her mom is clean and is a major part of her life.

The beautiful changes I have seen in this young lady remind me of the second set of ripples caused when a fish jumps up from underneath the surface. These changes come from deep within her — from a heart that is being transformed by the love of Jesus. She responds to life more often than she reacts to it. The trajectory of her life has changed, and her faith is making a difference in the lives of others.

In the Bible, Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (NLT).