Beautiful Anger?

This year of transformation is changing me.  As with what happened with freedom, my word is pursuing me. 

It was suggested to me by a couple special people in my life, in a few different ways, to read the book Hinds Feet On High Places, and I did.  As its author Hannah Hurnard would write, lo and behold - it was much about transformation.  I had to get past some of the old fashioned writing and sayings, "thy little handmaiden" in particular, and doing so was well worth it to receive the overall message.

On my paperbackswap.com Wish List, I have many books that I add to keep track of those I hope to receive and read.  It is so interesting how at the right moment, certain books will be listed and my account will automatically request them when I am first in line on the wish list holds.  This happened recently with the book The Soul's Palette: Drawing on Art's Transformative Powers.  I repeat: Drawing on Art's Transformative Powers.  I receive. 

It will be in late May that I begin to take a class as I work towards earning my Master's Degree in Art Therapy at Marywood University.  This year, I can see it unfolding, my life is changing, I am growing, and deep transformation is occurring within me.

My wonderful cousin, (twice or thrice removed), lives in New Zealand, and we've only recently gotten in touch.  My aunt actually visited her, and is connected with her through facebook, which is how I connected with her.  It just so happens that she is also an artist, and she made me this collage shown below, which hangs on the wall in my bedroom.  (She participated in a Flat Stanley project for my kids, taking their Flat Selves all around in New Zealand - I will have to do a whole post on that at some point!  She totally showed us love with a whole huge package she sent in the mail, we are so blessed.)  One of the big messages of this collage is transformation: "successful transitions", "as I reinvent myself and am constantly curious about everything, I can't wait to see what's around the corner," "embrace life's changes," "freedom," the butterfly, the hummingbirds, the rooted lady, the glitter, the mountaintop, the angels guiding to open a new door...  What else do you see?

 

I love the warmth that radiates from this, into my life from the intention of its creation, and the sparkles that make this whole image shine.

And why do I call this post "Beautiful Anger?"  Because, it's the emotion that has led me to this place.  Anger is the emotion that has frustrated me, that I have fought with and questioned and been bitter towards.  Anger is the emotion that I haven't known how to make peace with and allow it to work positively within me.  As I let go and lift it up and seek to see through it to the other side, I see that anger can be used to become beauty. 

Perhaps it is that without such a strong emotion, I could sit in the same place forever - and I am not meant to do that.  I believe that God has specifically designed me to do something, many different things even, such as be a wife and mother, but also that I need to use the gifts and skills He has placed within me in the world.  I cannot stay complacent when anger burns and leads me on into the future.  I can learn to honor this feeling instead of fight it.  I can learn to hear its messages instead of will it away.

I read this on my new favorite homepage.  I got super tired of all the gossip and bad news on Yahoo, so now I have this one set and am feeding off of its positivity:  Daily Good - News that Inspires.  Here is a quote I read in an article that was posted on this site one day called "10 Life-Changing Facts about Anger:" 

"Meet your anger with love and let your heart break open. 
Then move forward with actions that are wise and skillful."

 

It does not come naturally to me to allow this to happen, but as I seek to renew my mind through the transformation of my thoughts, I am learning.