This is something I am not very good at, but am working on.
Are you ready for it?
Wait.
Wait.
Wait.
Frustrated yet?
The thing I’m not good at? Placing a pause between when I encounter something and react to it.
How many times has that hastily-written, fire-loaded email helped your cause?
How many times has the quickly-typed social media reply changed someone’s mind?
How often has the “parenting by reaction” method worked for you?
Almost never, right?
I’m not very good at this (yet), but I find tremendous value in placing a holy pause there in that space. It allows God to work on me and it allows me to do some interior work.
Event. Pause. Then react.