Searching for.......Something, Part 1

Anger is a lot like a big, noxious weed.  It's roots run deep and they can be very hard to pull out.  But if you don't do something to get rid of it, it will eventually choke out the good in you, overrun your heart, and leave your soul a barren and destitute wasteland -- a deserted shell of the beautiful oasis it should be.

So I knew that for the good of my family and the good of my soul, I had to rid myself of the anger that raged inside my heart and threatened to destroy me.  But I didn't know what or how.

Generally, these types of issues are addressed with the congregational leader.  As your ecclesiastical leader, he basically has charge over your spiritual well-being.  To give you counsel and advice.  But considering the circumstances and my feelings at that time, I didn't trust him and I didn't trust myself with him.  So I didn't consider that an option.

But I needed...something.  It's hard to put into words exactly what I felt I needed.  I needed someone to help share my burdens.  I needed someone to care about how I felt.  Someone to care about my anger.  Someone to care about me enough to let me be angry and not judge me.  Just someone to.....understand.

Our local congregation is part of a larger administrative unit composed of similar congregations from around the neighborhood.  Three good and honorable and spiritually inclined men oversee the overall function of this bigger unit.  Like those asked to serve in leadership positions in the individual congregations, the men are selected from among the members of the local congregations that comprise the larger unit.  Likewise also, they are not paid for their service or time, but rather freely donate them as an act of charitable service.  They accept the duties and responsibilities of service out of their love for God,  their love for their neighbors, and their desire to help and assist them in any way that they can.

These good men and are assisted in the day-to-day administration of the unit by a large number of good men and women whose responsibility it is to teach those in similar leadership roles in the local congregation how to more effectively serve those they are called to lead.

So I considered trying to "go up the chain of command," so to speak, and seek advice and counsel from one of the gentlemen who oversee the larger ecclesiastical unit, but another option presented itself before I could give that a try.

In addition to the main ecclesiastical leaders, each individual congregation also has supplemental leaders that assist in the day-to-day administration of the congregation.  The men, the women, the youth, and the children, are all provided with individual group leaders, also selected from among the members of the congregation, to serve as teachers and examples on how to try and live a good life and follow the teachings of the Lord from the Scriptures and the guidelines of the Church from the church leaders.  They also volunteer their time as they serve in their positions.

The man who was asked to serve as leader of the group of young, adult men (of which I was a member) was fairly new to the congregation and had only been in his position for a short time.  And it just so happened that he wanted to get to know each of us better, what our needs and concerns were, and how he could serve us better.

So here it was!  Here was my opportunity!  This is what I was looking for.  My chance to talk with someone.  So I took the first available appointment time to meet with him.