One Way NOT to Have a Grown-up Hissy Fit

Growing up, I chose not to do some things (or kept things to myself) because I was scared my mama was going to have a hissy fit.  My mama had them.  My aunts had them.  Can’t say the men in my life did…oh, wait.  Maybe they did.

Hissy fit:  fit of anger, temper tantrum.

Confession:  I have hissy fits, too.  Life can be so crazy hard sometimes, and I don’t deal well.

I remember one particular grown-up hissy fit that had something to do with the rat race of getting ready for school and work.  It involved a hair spray can and how far it was projected down the hall.  Ya’ll.  Seriously, I did that.  No one was harmed during my not so finest hour.  I’m not proud of that moment.  What I am thankful for is that I took my anger out on the hairspray can.  Then there was that time on our honeymoon that I chunked a box of french fries at my beloved while he tried to navigate Orlando traffic.

I’d love to say my hissy fits were limited to only the above mentioned incidents, but…alas, I cannot.

Just today, I could feel myself on edge and anxious.  Nothing major had happened, just lots of little stuff, some of my own doing.  I was angry with myself for making a dumb mistake.  Frustrated with myself for not being able to make a decision.  And irritated that I had allowed miscommunication of mess up some weekend plans.  And, of course, in that, the normal day to day with four littles under five.

I could feel it rising up…the makings of a hissy fit.

I kind of wanted to have one.  Then I’d feel release from that edgy, anxious feeling, but on the flip side, I knew I would feel deflated if I allowed my unstable emotions spill out into my day.  I asked Chris to pray.  You know what he said?  “Just breathe. And pray.”

That’s the 1 thing we can do to NOT have a hissy fit:  Breathe and pray.

That’s the one thing we can do to avoid an explosion.  Even though it seems like two things, they go together as one, breathing and praying at the same time. Calming your nerves and spirit together.

That’s exactly what I did.  The little stuff that had made me feel so on edge was still there, but I felt peace and, oddly…joy.  So many times we are helpless to control or change our circumstances.  No matter the circumstances, I can breathe and pray.

I don’t know about you, but I am thankful that there’s Someone who cares about mamas throwing hissy fits.  Jesus cares about these little things that are irritating me today, and He comforts when we just breathe and pray.