Naked wrestler nearly broke my bones!

I have a friend, let's call him Bruce, and he unintentionally taught me a lesson about anger. He was a big man as far as large muscular men go and he was with me on a missions trip. He's a great guy and he knows how to encourage people, plus he's funny. There was one particular thing he personally struggled with and I was able to learn about it first hand in a very scary way.

Little did I know, one of Bruce's pet peeves involved getting pranked upon. In all honesty, I think I was warned very early on when I got to know everybody. I guess I forgot somewhere down the road.

After a hot sweaty day at our job, Bruce and I talked about my lack of coolness. I was tense in those early weeks, and Bruce knew it. He suggested that I relax a little and loosen up. Since I knew he was right, I agreed. Later that afternoon while Bruce was in the shower, I decided to play a little trick on him. I was in that mode of relaxation, plus I wanted to let him know that I was fine.

I took a small cup and poured in cool water, filling it to the brim. Bruce's close friend curiously watched as I turned, walking slowly toward the bathroom toward Bruce. His eye brows shot up as he finally connected the dots. With a look of worry and warning in his eye's, he said in a distressed yet silent slow voice, "Noooo...!"

With a small mischievous smirk, I ignored his warning and silently approached the bathroom. As I turned the corner into the hallway, Bruce's friend again warned me, to which I once more ignored. As I turned into the bathroom, Bruce's friend tried one last attempt to save me from coming destruction. "Don't do it," he simply said.

"Don't do what?" said a voice from the bath tub. It really seemed like all things stopped. All I knew was that there was water showering down behind that curtain and my cup held hand raising above my head, toward Bruce. I calculated where Bruce's head might have been, and as soon as I said, "Heh,", I turned me hand to let cold water stream onto Bruce.

Unfortunately, only half of the water came out. All in one motion with brutal speed, Bruce's hand snatched the wrist hanging above his head, and with the other hand flung open the curtain. Before me was a raging man, with red blood shot eyes. I panicked, realizing the danger I had so foolishly put myself in. I wriggled my wrist free from Bruce's wet hand and ran out of the bathroom falling into the hallway. I was almost laughing because it's not every day where you see a naked man expose himself to you.

While struggling to get up from the floor, I witnessed a horrific sight. To my great regret and intense fear, Bruce jumped out of the tub onto both legs and bolted toward me in anger. This was the snap shot moment where I realized that there was a very angry, very big, very wet, very naked wrestler trying to run me down. If he got his hands on me, he could very well break some bones. In nightmarish panic, I ran through the kitchen into the living room with speed I didn't think I was capable of. As my hand touched the door knob to the world outside, I dared to glimpse back, in hopes that Bruce would not come raging at me. The only thing I witnessed and heard was a loud explosion in the kitchen. Papers were flying, chairs seemed to move on their own, and the fan on the table was bouncing on the floor by the refrigerator.

I didn't care at that moment, I just wanted to run where I'd be safe. I flung open the door and ran down the flight of steps in three great jumps. Landing on the grass, I hyper-flexed my left knee. I wasn't able to get up, but at least I was safe. I laughed at my excitement as I realized that I practically brushed against death. Ha!

Bruce's friend cautiously walked down the same steps. He said, "Bruce is mad at you. You better go up and apologize." I remarked, "Sure, just gimmie a minute. I think I really busted my leg. I can't get up..." Slowly as a turtle knowing he'll finish his race, I got up and walked up those stairs, back into the building. I gently opened the door as to not startle Bruce. Thankfully, Bruce was not waiting for me. The house seemed Vacant. I looked at the clutter in the kitchen. Along with papers, chairs, and a broken fan, water from some pitcher had splashed onto everything, covering a good portion of the floor.

If I remember correctly, I think I called for Bruce, hoping (or not hoping) that he was around. Since I didn't hear a reply, I began cleaning the kitchen. First drying the water, then propping the chairs up, throwing away useless paper, and fixing the fan. At some point, Bruce quickly walked out of his room and went outside toward the back door. As I continued cleaning, I realized that he had tried to stop when he was running after me. Some of the water that was on the ground was actually from him. He slid from under his wet feet and flew into the kitchen table, cutting his ankle. He obviously didn't want to talk to me, so I genuinely felt bad for him. I feared that I had damaged the friendship we had built.

A young friendship must be nurtured, like a sapling. It needs to be cared for by both sun and water. If one of those two things are missing, the sapling will die. The same concept applies to all friendships. Both people must be involved for the friendship to grow! Friendships that last, even when friends are apart, are strong because the friendship was continuously fed and strengthened by both people. Personally, some of my closest friends are literally hundreds of miles away. A strong friendship, like a strong tree, can go longer with out the tending of water and sun. It's harder to sustain a sapling friendship, because it's a weak thing. It doesn't take much to kill it.

Later throughout the day, Bruce and I ignored each other. Like a coward, I texted him, asking, "Hey man, do you wanna talk?" He eventually said, "Yeah, but not through texting."So we met in his room. He apologized to me, saying that he over reacted. He said that he knew he told me that I needed to loosen up earlier that day. He knew I was just having a little fun. Bruce acknowledged that he didn't know what came over him. We both apologized, hugged it out and continued to be friends. No resentment, no anger, and no bitterness. We forgave each other on the spot.

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
~James 1:19-20

Anger is something I struggle with, but it is contained in my self. I rarely let it out. Some of you ask, "How is that possible? Wouldn't you like, blow up or something?" Well, yes I would blow eventually. But that is rare because I let it out when I pray. If I'm seriously angry about something, I talk to God about it. There is something about talking to God that really calms me down. I let him take care of it and my heart feels lighter because of it. Like the passage above say's, you have to really try to hear the other person out, be careful with your words, and at all costs, try to control your anger.

Anger, if not contained in the right form, can take control of us. I was sure that if Bruce got his hands on me, then I would be in some terrible trouble. Thankfully the Lord looked after both of us. :)

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