You’ve heard of art museums and natural history museums. But, here’s something you likely haven’t come across before: The Relieve Stress Museum.

(If you’re over a certain age, you’re wondering, “What in the world will they think of next?!”)

Located in Shanghai, China, the museum is fitted with what they call “boom rooms” where people deal with anxiety by destroying objects in a controlled environment.

In other words, grown men and women pay good money to throw full-fledged temper tantrums by smashing glass bottles and taking hammers to old keyboards. As I watched a BBC news report about this stress-busting (quite literally!) center, I sat in judgment on those who seemed bent on mayhem—till I remembered my own temper tantrum from a few days ago. I could have used a trip to the Relieve Stress Museum that evening.

Maybe I was overwhelmed because my husband was traveling for work. Maybe I was overwhelmed because I was physically drained after a long day. Maybe I was overwhelmed because no one (read: my kids) was listening to me and everyone (read: my kids) had their own timelines and versions of obedience.

Whatever the reason, I snapped like a dry twig that someone with heavy-duty Caterpillar boots had stepped on. Like the good folk at the Shanghai museum, I wanted to throw something out the window or at least punch a pillow really hard. While better sense prevailed and I didn’t chuck anything, out spewed some nasty, foul-smelling, noxious emotions.

It wasn’t pleasant and I wasn’t proud of the way I lost it in front of my kids. When things calmed down, the “offending party” in this little drama and I talked things through, made up, and prayed together.

But it made me realize just how quickly I’d let myself go from zero to 100 when a few buttons were pushed.

It’s not surprising then that the Bible has repeated references to being slow to anger.

Of course, Scripture addresses many aspects of anger, including the righteous and holy kind that God exhibits, but as I counseled my heart from the Word, I saw that anger has the potential to suddenly go full-throttle.

Take a moment and consider these verses:

“Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.”(Proverbs 14: 29)

“A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.” (Proverbs 15: 18)

“Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.” (Ecclesiastes 7: 9)

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger…”(James 1: 19)

When I look back on my volcanic eruption, I believe the reason I went so quickly from “I’m a patient mama” to “I’ve lost the plot” was because I justified my anger.

I told myself I have the right to be angry. I told myself that this is how a normal mom would react. I told myself that striking back with fiery words was okay because the situation warranted it.

You know what I didn’t do? I didn’t tell God anything.

I didn’t look to Him. I wanted to sort the mess out all by me-proud-self. In fact, looking back, I purposely shut Him out and allowed my emotions to play god.

Maybe you’ve felt this too. In intense moments, giving vent to anger may feel good and may seem justified. But the enemy has a field day when we decide not to walk in step with the Spirit but to race along with our emotions.

Friend, you and I have a better way, a redeemed way, of dealing with our stress. We don’t have to break anything in a controlled environment—we can take our brokenness to God and ask Him to take control.

We can turn to God in that heated moment and simply say, “Lord, I need You. Please handle this for me.” That may be all it takes—humbling ourselves before Him instead of justifying our prideful emotions.

Here’s the thing: He is a God of compassion. He is a God who remembers that we are frail. And He comes alongside us to help us. I believe He has special grace for tired mamas who feel particularly stressed on certain days. Isaiah 40:11 reminds us that He gently leads those who are with young.

Instead of our emotions leading the way, may we look to One who leads us ever so gently. May we remember that He is for us and that He is enough.

May we allow God to tend to our tired mama hearts even as we tend to the hearts of the ones He has entrusted in our care.

 

---

If you liked what you read, SUBSCRIBE for FREE so you get my posts in your inbox. Or you can follow my writing page on Facebook or Instagram