by I’m not talking about reading, writing, or arithmetic, nor am I talking about reducing, reusing, or recycling. At some point in our lives, most of us have experienced rage, revenge, and resentment. We have to decide whether to keep them or let them go. Letting go of emotions we believe we have a right to might be difficult. It’s frequently hard to move past the harm that life can do to us or the hurt that someone has caused us.
We will still endure sorrow and suffering, though, if we grow connected to the three Rs. I’ve known some people who harbored animosity for so long that it started to negatively impact their health.
Resentment, anger, and retribution are methods to keep oneself miserable, as I discovered many years ago—albeit the hard way. Seeking revenge and placing blame on others just feeds the flames that burn happiness to smoke. Evil must be lonely, in my opinion, because misery enjoys companionship.
The only solution I can think of to get rid of any of the three R’s is to give them away. The challenge is to think it works, even though it’s absurd and so simple.
Self-pity overwhelmed me many years ago. I experienced depression, anger, and, for the first time, a desire for vengeance. I didn’t enjoy such emotions. Even though I had experienced a lot of hurt in the past, I had never wanted to exact revenge on anyone. I was brought up to forgive people, but the suffering I had gone through started to wear me down. I had trouble thinking clearly and couldn’t sleep.
Near my house, the Chattahoochee River meandered over enormous boulders and wide gulfs.
I walked along its banks on a foggy, cold day that reflected my stormy mood. I saw the water run downstream after rushing over the boulders.
I started gathering stones and tossing them into the waves, observing their disappearance. Then I seized a big rock and yelled, “God, you said you were entitled to retribution.” Please relieve me of this burdensome burden of suffering. Lord, I’m tired; wash away the anger, hatred, and revenge.
I tossed the stone into the water as far as I could, as though it held all of my hopelessness. All of the obligations that started with the letter R disappeared the instant it reached the water and began to drift downstream.
I’ve prayed a lot throughout my life, but I’ve never had a request answered so promptly. Giving it to the sole person who can throw it into the river is the only way to get rid of a negative R, I learned with perfect confidence.
The word “forgiveness” is very broad. Forgiving someone genuinely takes work and prayer; it is not a word that can be used carelessly. When we beg for forgiveness, God can grant it right away, but we tend to cling onto our pain instead. How often do we come across people who are lonely and isolated as a result of the intense grief of losing a loved one? Do we frequently place the blame for our misery on other people? Do a lot of people blame God for our suffering?
How many of us lack intelligence?
An R person was once described as sour by my Tennessee relatives.
Why is that woman so cruel, Mama? About a neighbor, I inquired.
She’s just sour, honey, not cruel.
It took me some time to realize that the neighbor was only seeing the world through a cloud of resentment. The three R’s are the foundation of negativity, sourness, grumbling, grumpiness, and dissatisfaction.
Even though we may feel anger, hurt, and sadness, we must eventually learn to let go of these emotions in order to appreciate the sun’s light and the happiness that comes with every new day. The three R’s—revenge, resentment, and rage—should not rule our lives, clouding our judgment or making us fearful of what lies ahead.
I remember singing the refrain, “Jesus loves me,” over and over when I was obsessed with the R’s since the Bible says so. God does not want me to be unhappy if He truly loves me. Do you not want your kids to be happy if you love them?
Remember that there is a location where you can release your loads if you are currently juggling any of the three R’s. Consider tossing them into the ocean and seeing how God removes them.
It can be that easy, and he has the strength to do it.
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Author and journalist Lynn Walker Gendusa was born in Tennessee and currently resides in Georgia. Southern Comfort: Stories of Family, Friendship, Fiery Trials, and Faith is her most recent book.Her website is www.lynngendusa.com.Click here to read more of her motivational tales.
