Skip to main content

The Small Things That Frustrate Us

Earlier today I stood in line at an office of the Texas Department of Public Safety to get a Texas driver's license. This particular office is actually a converted grocery store that they have turned into a facility that specifically deals with driver's licenses and the like. Unfortunately, while there I discovered that the birth certificate that I had was actually a copy and only the original would do. 

Let's just say that I was incredibly annoyed by this. I had scheduled the appointment a week in advance, had gathered up all sorts of documents to prove my identity, I showed up early just like one is supposed to, and I find out that because one document isn't right I can't go ahead and take care of things. It was frustrating and a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy because I always dread dealing with government bureaucracy. 

After I got home and stewed for a bit I realized that it wasn't that big of a deal. After all, I can just go to the courthouse and get another document that will work. While it is time consuming this isn't the end of the world. 

How often do I let small annoyances and frustrations hijack my attitude and focus? It always amazes me just how easily my joy in Christ flies out the window just because I get annoyed or frustrated by little things. I'm so thankful that our God is merciful and compassionate, because I need every bit of both I can get.

Life isn't all about the big moments of pain or grief or joy. A lot of our witness comes from the ordinary life and its inconveniences and opportunities. How many waiters/waitresses have been inadvertently turned away from Christ by the horrific behavior of the Sunday lunch crowd? That's not a big event, but an ordinary life moment where we have the unique opportunity to proclaim Jesus by the way we treat those offering us their service.

I know that I need to work on controlling my frustration and not letting it control me. One way to do that is by constant prayer and meditation. Continually refocusing on God and his presence can help us put those frustrating moments into perspective. Let us be constant in our imitation of Christ and not abandon it simply because we get annoyed or frustrated. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thankful

Today is Thanksgiving, the day that we are supposed to celebrate all the things we are thankful for. It is a time of family reunions, football, and turkey eating. I sincerely pray that each and every one of you has a good day today. I'll admit that being thankful has not been easy for me this year. As pretty much all of you know, my mother passed away December of last year. Though she had been in the hospital for months, we were not expecting it. In fact I was sure she would be finally able to come home within a matter of weeks. Instead she peacefully passed on into the arms of Jesus, whom she loved more dearly than anyone else. As you can imagine, the entire family was heart broken. After what can easily be described as the worst Christmas ever, I returned to home to Illinois. It was here that I finally broke down. I spent the next months doing everything except being thankful. I cursed God, wept, screamed, begged to have her back, and was generally not the nicest person to be
3 comments
Read more

Matthew, The Promised Messiah

Imagine, if you will, living as a Jewish Christian in the first century. You grew up following the Mosaic Law and have studied the Old Testament backwards and forwards. The life of the synagogue, that shared community of faith, is precious to you. It was, for the longest time, the cohesive core of your walk of faith. You grew up waiting on the promises of God to be fulfilled. Now you've heard the good news you've been waiting for; the news the entire Jewish people have been waiting for. God has acted decisively! The covenant promises made to Abraham have at last been fulfilled! The Messiah has come! Eagerly you listen to those proclaiming the Messiah, a man named Jesus from the town of Nazareth. You listen and are astounded at his life and teaching. Truly this man was a great prophet, just as Moses promised. You listen in awe as your entire concept of royalty is turned on its head, as this Jesus assumed the throne as the promised king of Israel not by war or riches but by a
Post a Comment
Read more

Reading Aloud

What is the primary way we use Scripture today? I think the answer, at least in our society, is private reading and study. The majority of our spiritual advice can be summed up in "study the Bible more." The moral of many sermons is simply that we don't read the Bible enough. I think that this is absolutely true, but I probably mean something a little different. While I obviously agree that we, in general, don't read the Bible enough individually that isn't actually my main gripe. I think we don't read the Bible enough out loud, in community, as a part of worship. This, I think, should be a central part of our gatherings every week. We should simply read the Bible out loud and listen together in community. How much is the Bible read aloud in your gathering? I'm talking specifically about just reading, not during sermons or classes. How often is the Bible simply read without someone commenting on or explaining it? Just the Scriptures read aloud for all to h
Post a Comment
Read more