aggravation

I am so aggravated today.  "People" (ahem) have been making  me feel angry, frustrated, USED, unappreciated...you name it!  Instead of venting about it all (which is what comes naturally to me)...I want to share this.  I read it a few months ago when I was feeling this way and it really was like being hit with a gong - I just "got it."  It's from a Kay Arthur devotional...it's amazing how God can even use a mere 10 minutes a day...I read this one often...

"Have your circumstances been difficult lately?  Are you feeling uptight about everything that's going wrong?

When you let the worries of life get to you, it can affect your relationships with others.  You become frustrated, pound things, set them down hard, or slam them!  You're tempted to vent the frustration of difficult circumstances in one way or another on a person or an object.  You find yourself wanting to chew out the kids, kick the cat or throw out the dog, hide and glare behind the newspaper, or just tune out the family and turn on the TV - loud!  Or perhaps you only want to slam the bedroom door, crawl into bed, and pull the blankets over your head.

Beloved, this is not the way to handle frustration!  When things get difficult, God says, 'Let your gentle spirit be known to all men.  The Lord is near.'  (Phil. 4:5). 

God is there, my friend.  Shut your mouth, and willfully give your frustrations to Him.  Then take a deep breath and let the Spirit take control.

Today, Father, I take all my frustrations and worries and drop them at Your feet.  Breathe Your peace into my heart so that I can respond in love to those around me rather than letting circumstances rule my life."

What a relief to be able to "let the Spirit take control."  God knows what's wrong in my life and He knows how to fix it.