I know what it is to tend a garden. Apparently I also know how to tend evil with my anger. Anger, unsubdued, feeds evil with some wickedly rich soil.
Sometimes I think my anger is righteous. My protective, mothering instincts want to protect my family, my colleagues, my prodigies. I want to pick up a sword, like Eowyn in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, and defend those I love. But when wielding a sword, whether it is an actual blade or delivering a cutting word, there are always consequences.
My anger softens with time, with perspective, with reminding myself to wait on the Lord for His purpose. When facing adverse circumstances, it is always better for me to wait for God’s gentle direction before I do something unhelpful, foolish, or even disastrous. It is also good that I surround myself with faithful counsel before I react. (And it’s helpful to have people nearby who know my patterns and know that I do eventually cool off after a flare-up!)
I would rather tend my garden with beauty than tend with evil. I would rather grow compassion and welcome and all the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Just for today, I pray for God to give me a clear, cool head as I wait patiently for Him to guide me.