Another Year Older.

I celebrated another birthday last week (3/13). Every year on my birthday, I always thank God for being able to take another trip around the sun. On my birthday I reflect back on what has happened over the course of the last year. Let me tell you, from March of '18 to March of '19 was kind of a roller coaster year for me. During the course of the year, I went through a really dark season. I don't know why it happened, but it did. I was angry. Angry all the time. Angry at everyone and everything. For no apparent reason. Here I was, a Christian, and a pastor, letting anger get the best of me. Let me tell you, it didn't do well for my Christian witness. People walked on egg shells around me. Afraid to say the wrong thing to me. Or to even speak to me at all. I didn't like it. I didn't like who I was, or what I was doing or whom I had become. I prayed and prayed that God would let me see situations like He sees them. Let me see people through Your eyes Lord. He didn't answer, at first. This went on week after week for almost two months. I was letting the anger consume me. I kept reading this passage from the Bible almost everyday.
James 1:19-20 (NLT)¹⁹ Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. ²⁰ Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.
I was not being Christ like, at all. I was not doing what He desired me to do. To love everyone.
Then one day it all changed. It was almost like Thanos snapping his fingers in the Avengers movie. Except in my case, all of my anger was gone. God had this to  say.
Colossians 3:8 (NLT)⁸ But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.
Thank You Lord! I went to work, and everything was different. No more anger towards my co-workers. No more anger towards my job. God had given me a peace and a comfort that I could not explain. He was telling me that my season of anger was over.
John 16:33 (NLT)³³ I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” 
I give all the glory and praise to The Lord! He answered my prayers, in His time.