BE ANGRY YET DO NOT SIN

OK, How do some of you deal with anger?
In particular, one of my neighbors, recently moved here, have made themselves odious to everyone else. First they start by letting several "CUJO" dogs run loose(nearly attacking one boy on his bike) whose dogs did maul a neighbors' dog. They contantly burn trash all day and night.
But the thing that has my blood boiling is this last 4th they set off large fireworks (Roman candle type) that rained down burning embers over houses and cars in the neighborhood, including my mother's. She as well as others are afraid to call police. Afraid it might provoke these jerks to do worse.
I haven't been this angry in a long, long time. Even desire for 'getting even'.
I know what Scripture says, to not avenge yourself but I am struggling with this now.
Any advice and prayer from anyone in similar circumstances would be much welcome.

Pray, dear brother. Pray, pray, pray.

I am learning to fight every battle on my knees. It's the greatest secret weapon I have. If you abandon yourself and take this matter to God, he'll rectify it. Can I give you some inspiring examples of how God works on behalf of his saints?

I once had an automotive specialist work a car I owned. He jacked it up pretty bad; he put the belts on backwards and installed a water pump wrong. As result, I ended up blowing out some pistons and ruining the entire engine. I wrote him a letter, and the company denied culpability. The owner even cussed at my wife over the phone! I was enraged. They told me to sue them, they were sure they would win! Well, I was ready to get them served, when I got hold of my bearings and took it to God in prayer. The Holy Spirit told me to drop the case and not do anything! Well, I obeyed. The next time I went by the place (about a week later), the shop was totally closed down. The signs were all gone, all the cars were gone. God took that entire garage away, and I received a brand new car shortly after.

Another story involved my pastor who had moved into a new home where the next door neighbor's dog wouldn't stop barking. He would go all night long. Finally, it just got to be too much. He was getting out of bed to go knock on their door, when he decided to pray first instead. He got down on his knees beside the bed. He said that he had hardly started his prayer, when the dog suddenly shut up. It was so sudden and drastic, he seriously thought God had killed the dog! To this day, he says that after a certain time, the dog never barks.

If you really want some inspiration on the efficacy of prayer, read up on a man of God named George Muller. It'll boost your faith! However odious this family is, God has a solution. You should allow God to handle them. Maybe he put them there to teach you patience; maybe he put them there to drive you to your knees. In any case, if you pray, something will happen. My brother-in-law is a strong man of prayer; I've seen him systematically pray ungodly boys out of his daughter's life. I've seen a kid go to jail, another one just disappear, another move to a different school. One after the other. You ask him about what happens to all the boys, and he just says, "Oh, I've prayed them out. They're not Christians."

Bro. Paul

I commend you, Scout06 for holding your temper and bringing your concerns here. It would have been so easy to react in anger – which would likely have made things worse for you. God says, “vengeance is mine…” for a good reason. We don’t do well handling vengeance ourselves. Besides that, bold love can be a far more powerful weapon – like giving your “enemy” a drink, or some other form of blessing.

It is hard to know if your neighbor is merely a calloused fool or if he has evil intent and wants to cause destruction. It’s hard to know how he would respond if challenged. You don’t want to play with “fire”. Yet, he is not above the laws of the land. There may be a point where, for his sake, he needs to be confronted by the law enforcers. I realize that reporting could be a risk - and could very well foster more hostility in him. Our legal system may have its limits; but God doesn’t. He is concerned about the well-being of his children.

God calls us to live peacefully with others – and what this means for you right now, only he knows. Do keep praying for this situation – not merely for your safety and well-being, but also for your neighbors, including the other neighbors. Perhaps God will bring good out of this. And surely he will direct you.

I hope that you will let us know how this all works out.

May God be with you, and give you wisdom, patience, and love.

Diane

Thank you Diane (Roadsign) and Paul for your encouraging responses. I guess that's what I needed most.
It's been a pressure filled year. One nephew had surgery for a non malignant brain tumor, has had recovery complications; another nephew is on his second tour of duty in Iraq(just after his wife left him too). My elderly mother's health is up and down. And today, Friday 7-25, I get a call and my brother is in hospital with a serious infection in his arm which has spread to the muscle(surgery required). Not to mention my job status may soon be unemployed, but thank God I do have my health and am not in a war zone.

The recent antics though of my mother's neighbors was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

Thank you for helping to bring me back to reality-In this world we do experience trying circumstances but the Lord is always there and faithful. We never go wrong to obey Him and His word.
Kathy

Wow! Kathy, you sure have been experiencing the fires. Any one of these troubles can be emotionally draining..... but one piled on another.... that's another story. Surely God is in all this - and deepening your patient endurance and your reliance on him.

Like water that flows to the lowest points, so does God's love. When we are in the valley, God's love is there.

May his love be fully sufficient for you in these days.

Diane