I’ve come to the conclusion that resorting to anger to deal with people is just about as useful a tool as a sledgehammer on a computer. It’s no wonder the Savior condemned it. Anger is fraught with far more regrets than benefits, as this story illustrates.

A father came home from work one day, and found his children fighting over the television set – something I’m sure never happens around your house.

Evidently this was not the first time, and the father said in some exasperation regarding the TV, “Look, you five, if I hear one more word, I’ll chop it up!”

Not many days later, he came home, and he heard a disturbance coming from the vicinity of the TV room. Well, realizing that Dad was home, the disturbance quelled instantly. A few minutes later, however, the youngest, a little boy in a family of all girls marched resolutely up the stairs to his dad.

“Dad,” he said. “Where’s your ax?”

“It’s in the furnace room, Rich,” Dad said.

“Go get it,” the boy said, “and let’s chop it up!”

Well, suddenly Dad was put to it. He would have to keep his word. So he began to reason with the boy.

“If we do, if we chop this thing up,” he said, “we are [we’re] not going to get another.”

“I don’t care,” the boy said. “Let’s chop it up.”

Dad continued trying to change his mind, but to no avail; it was made up. That TV was consigned to its doom as far as he was concerned. If he couldn’t have his program, there would be none at all.

In a last ditch effort, Dad said, “[There’ll be] no more ball games, no more movies, no more cartoons.”

“Cartoons?” the boy said. “What’s tonight?”

“Friday,” Dad answered.

“Is tomorrow Saturday?” he asked.

“Yes.”

I suppose you could just see those wheels turning in his mind.

Finally he said, “Could we wait until Monday?”