Weekly Newsletter: No Foam

     At times our efforts at making peace and seeking forgiveness are premature. Arguments flare over petty problems and leave us wounded and hurting. We don’t like those feelings, and we want to resolve them as quickly as possible. But, if we try to make peace too quickly we may only find the wounds too fresh and we become embroiled in the battle once again.
     Root Beer is one of my favorite soft drinks, and I love to pour it into a frosted mug. If I pour it too quickly, however, it generates a lot of foam. If I continue to pour without allowing time for the foam to settle, I end up pushing the foam out of the mug and making a mess. I have to be patient. If I pour slowly I can usually avoid the foam in the first place.
   Relationships can create similar results. If we handle them with care and patiently work through difficult situations, we can often avoid the experience known as “foaming at the mouth.” If, however, the anger and resentment arises to the top, then time often allows the situation to defuse, or in this case, de-foam. But, pushing too soon — before the foam has subsided — usually makes matters worse.