ITEMS OF INTEREST December 13, 2010 Issue

ITEMS OF INTEREST

with contributions from Scott Morris

EVICT ANGER

The following article is by Dr. Scott Morris, founder and executive director of the Church Health Center in Memphis, Tennessee, and associate paster at St. John's United Methodist Church.

RECENTLY, A WOMAN I BARELY KNOW called me about her friend Laura, who was near death. The woman told me that Laura would like me to officiate at her funeral when she passed. Even though Laura and I had never met, I'm grateful that I said yes.

The next week she died. Driving to the cemetery on a day that reached 100 degrees, I wasn't quite sure what I would say during the service....

Right as I was about to start, a man walked up, shook my hand, and said the most amazing thing.

"I own a condominium in Florida that's next door to your high school football coach, Joe Williams," he said. It turns out this man was Laura's old neighbor and was in town for her funeral.

I was immediately flooded with memories from 40 years ago. Deep down, I've been mad at Coach Joe for something that happened years ago that has long since lost its significance. In an instant I realized that I've been allowing this anger to live, rent free, in my head for all these years.

The man went on to say, "Joe knows you live in Memphis, and he has followed your career. He told me that if I ever run into you, I should tell you he loves you."

He loves me.

With those words, an indescribable sense of relief came over me. It was very freeing and hard to describe. In religious terms, I would call it grace.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Being healthy is not just about the absence of disease. It's also about the absence of unhealthy anger and resentment. Such feelings can weigh you down in ways you never realize until they're gone.

Most of us have a variation of these complex feelings toward someone in our past. It's time to free yourself from the burden and let it go. I promise it will make you feel better.

I'm not sure what made me decide to officiate at Laura's funeral, but I can assure you that I will never forget the gift she gave me. In 100-degree heat, a cool breeze blew through me that day.

"Coach Joe's three words dispel years of anger"
First published in The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tennessee).
July 5, 2010

LOL LOTS OF LAUGHS

Q. What did Jesus say to his disciples at the Last Supper?

A. Those of you who want to be in the picture, get on this side of the table!

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