When confronted with something unpleasant or difficult how do you react? Do you try to eliminate it? Control it? Distract yourself? Talk to others about it? Get angry? Have a pity party? If you are normal you probably do a little of it all. And the longer it goes on the more intense the reaction gets.

For instance if my plane is delayed. If it is for a few minutes that isn’t a big deal. But if it causes me to miss my connection then it becomes an issue. I cannot eliminate the problem but I can try to control the situation by calling my travel agent to get me on another flight. I may buy a magazine to distract myself for a while. I may grumble about it with other passengers waiting in the area – commiserate. And if the airline isn’t forthcoming with new information I may get angry and may let the airline representative know it! The delay is messing up my whole day and my plans so I will begin to feel sorry for myself.

Ever have one of those days? We all have.

It’s the little things that can undo you. The sand in the gears. Frustrating. Maddening.

And yet I am convinced that it  is at times like that, that we come to see what we are made of.  We can turn on others or we can turn to Jesus for help. He can, you know.

 

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