Katie Ka-boom

In the early 90’s the Animaniacs cartoon series introduced a new character called Katie Ka-boom. She was a teenager who would overreact at the smallest of life’s inconveniences, get angry, become a monster and blow up. Immediately after the “boom”, she would return to her normal self as if nothing had happened all the while leaving bewilderment and destruction in her wake. In one episode, her date is supposed to pick her up at 7pm, at 7:01pm Katie loses it. As she is losing it, her family tries to calm her down but that only makes her more angry. She blows up, and then her date rings the doorbell, apologizes for being late and what does Katie say? “Late? Oh, I hardly noticed!”, as she giggles and takes his arm walking away. Her family, covered in soot, comes out from hiding behind the couch hoping this is just a phase.

Although Katie Ka-boom was only featured a handful of times, as a child, I loved those episodes of the Animaniacs. As an adult, I finally understood something my family likely realized back then. I liked Katie Ka-boom, because I related to her. I was probably in my early 20’s when I finally referred to myself as Katie Ka-boom. Looking back, I recognize I always had a short fuse and big temper. But I was so much like Katie, I only needed a moment to “blow up” and get it out of my system, then I would be ok again. And that isn’t much, that’s something others can afford me, right? Just a brief moment where I can go from zero to 100 and back down just as quickly?

NO! Others cannot afford me that. Because those “moments” are a flash where an action is performed or a word is spoken that can’t be taken back.

Through the years the Holy Spirit has been dealing with me and my anger. And using scripture every step of the way.

• Proverbs 29:11 – A fool gives full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end. NIV
• James 1:20 – because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. NIV
• Proverbs 15:18 – A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel. NIV
• Proverbs 25:28 – Like a city whose walls are broken through, is a person who lacks self-control. NIV

A few of the many scriptures the Holy Spirit has used are above and they clearly describe the character of a person like Katie Ka-boom, like me.

I had to ask myself a few questions as the Holy Spirit was working on this area of my life.

• Did I want to be considered a fool or as wise?
• Did I want to produce the kind of righteousness that God desires or not?
• Did I want to be the person who causes problems or one who helps solve them peaceably?
• Did I want to be like a city whose walls are broken through, where the enemy can just come in, set up camp, and have rule over me or did I want to have some self-control to deny my flesh and allow the Holy Spirit to rule?

As you can imagine I wanted to be wise, produce God desired righteousness, solve problems, have self-control. Still I would struggle. I didn’t want to be this person, so why was I?

Paul had a similar struggle in Romans 7:14-25. He was wrestling with his flesh and the sin he was committing, even though he didn’t want to be doing it. He recognized the battle within himself, that is inside each of us who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. The battle to rule our flesh, bring it into submission to the only good in us, the Holy Spirit.

And that’s the answer. There is nothing good in my flesh (my human (sin) nature). The only good in me is the Holy Spirit of God. And in those fits of angry moments, I was reflecting Joanie, not Jesus. I wasn’t bringing my flesh into submission to the Lord.

I am not perfect, still on this journey, but I hope you are reading this and saying, “That’s not the Joanie I know, the Joanie I know allows Jesus to shine through her”. However, I am self-aware enough to know that there are those who are reading this and have experienced Katie Ka-boom from me. I apologize for those moments when I didn’t exercise any self-control to deny my flesh.

It’s a difficult thing to do – to deny yourself. So, join me next time for more on denying self.

Heavenly Father,

Thank you so much for the holy convictions that come from Your Holy Spirit within me. Thank you for forgiveness of my sin, for helping me learn how to overcome being Katie Ka-boom, and learn how to deny my flesh so that I might reflect Jesus instead of Joanie.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Digging Deeper

Perhaps you don’t struggle with angry fits like I do. But we all have something we struggle with. The experts say, the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Admitting it makes you vulnerable though, doesn’t it? And no one likes to be exposed do they? I know I don’t, but I also know that until I named it I couldn’t really do anything about it. Ignoring it will never make it go away.

That said, spend a few moments in fervent prayer today asking the Lord to reveal to you the thing(s) He wants to help you overcome. The write it down. If you already know what your struggle is, write it down. Name it, and then write a prayer strategy. That’s a specific action plan prayer that you can pray to help you overcome your struggle. If you need help with how to write a prayer strategy, check out your local bookstore for Priscilla Shirer’s book called Fervent.