THE CARD READS:

In times of weakness, remember
the word HALT. Its letters can
remind you not to let yourself
become too
     Hungry
     Angry
      Lonely
      Tired
Most importantly, fix your attention
on the Lord, draw strength from Him,
and experience victory over temptation.

I first learned about HALT from a friend. She has these four words on her refrigerator. When one of her kids is cranky, she’ll point at the words and raise her eyebrows. She’s asking, “are you hungry, angry, lonely, or tired?” Basically, she serves it back in their court where they can tackle the need.

I think we can identify with this. It steers us in the right direction. Sometimes we’re just flat out hungry. That’s easy enough to recognize and fix. Each one of these can be remedied to some degree.

Next time you’re in a funk, take a moment. Think the list: Hungry, angry, lonely, tired? Take this quick assessment to identify what may be bothering you. It is a simple way to address how and why you’re struggling, edgy, depressed, moody. . . you name it.

A couple of years ago I was given the card with HALT information at a ladies church meeting. A woman in her 80s passed them out. I was thrilled to get a copy. Once home, I promptly affixed mine to the refrigerator door where I could refer to it whenever I am grumpy. It is a helpful tool for clearing my head and getting back in the game.

So next time: Stop (halt).  Ask, which one of these is me right now? I’m tired. Okay. Once identified, we can address the problem.

Our moods affect others so we don’t want to stay in the pit for long. That goes for our relationships. It’s not fair to to take it out on others when it’s really our stuff. Recognize the signs. Then take ownership of your stuff, know what I mean?

Always go to the source, the underlying truth. Why am I angry? What can I do to combat loneliness? Solutions abound. Volunteer, help someone out, interact with others. Join a group. Do a social activity. Work on becoming healthy. Eat right. Figure it out and then do something about it. Being proactive is always a good thing.

And never forget, God can help you. He’s good at it.

Have a blessed day!

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