EMOTIONS

A group of six women.  Sitting around a table.  Talking.  Those words brought an image to your mind didn’t they?  To that image add a bit of food and a bit of wine.  Now you have the monthly meeting of the W W & W --- WISE WOMEN AND WINE.

The third Thursday, of almost every month, we discuss and the topics have been fantastic.  And before you scoff at this, let me assure you that 99% of the topics are serious.  We have discussed:

• What makes up a community?  (If you think this is a fluff discussion, think again.)
• The death penalty
• Other people’s pain changes our perspective (Let it sink in… tough discussion.)
• School dress codes, abortion, family, separation of church and state
• Almost every subject on ProCon.org

This month’s topic is emotions.  When “emotions” popped into my strange mind as a discussion topic, I thought, “Oh, this will be easy.”  I even printed out four questions and two discussion starters.  I WAS READY!!

Then I made the mistake of googling one simple phrase:  The Pros and Cons of Emotions.  Warning:  Never google unless you want your life to get complicated.  Suddenly a simple topic became … less simple.

One place listed 15 emotions.  Not to be outdone, another listed 57.  57?  There is even a chart showing where 14 emotions are felt in the body. 

I found a debate titled “Emotion is the basis of all decisions.”  “This should be good,” I thought.  Wrong.  I am not a dictionary!  Of course, this educated debate made me laugh, when, after all those words I had to look up, one person ended with:  So would a pilot whose plain --- yes, plain. 

After reading 12 Pros and Cons of Emotional Intelligence, I decided:

• Emotions can help or hinder decision making
• Emotions can be there when you are born or can be learned
• Emotions can be used to help people or to manipulate people

WRAP IT UP

Emotions --- what are we to do with them?  Oh my goodness!  Why did I not go here in the first place?  Silly me!  I used google when I should have used the Bible.

Jesus’ life was full of emotions.  He felt empathy, compassion, happiness, sadness, anger, love, and grief.  He wept, sighed, and groaned.  He was surprised and amazed. 

But – BUT – Jesus did not fear.  He was not anxious.  He did not worry.

Emotions:  What are we to do with them?  Read the Bible.  The answer is there.