F O C U S…not frustration
Add comment June 16th, 2006
So the past couple of days have been interesting. I’ve traveled out of the local area for a couple of days, almost been hit by a ignorant driver 2x in the metro area, and had a “wonderful” time attempting to straighten-out some things for some accounts of mine. The kind of days that make you wish for a trip to one of those Corona ads, leaving the yellow beer to someone else.
Frustration is not my friend, and unfortunately in these experiences I’ve had the past week or so we’ve met often. I hate this creature that often rouses me uncomfortably out of the semi-peaceful existance I try to maintain, and have been praying about how I can meet and address the source within myself - rather than just give a topical balm to the symptoms.
In the marriage counselling my wife and I went through we discussed this very thing: EXPECTATIONS. When we plan our day and set it in virtual concrete because “that’s the way it works best” to us, and the smallest intrusion or change that comes up and adds too-much water to your concrete as it’s setting up, your “perfect” path of a day is no longer perfect. IT’s never going to set-up as you planned, and how you react to this says a lot about how you deal with expectations not being met. Obviously I’ve set concrete, and in the area of my expectations I’ve gotten way-too-easily frustrated when my expectations aren’t met. You feel me? Comprende?
I’ve searched the resources-Biblical on the internet, and keep not-finding exactly what I want to find, (no expectation here!). The wise-words of Solomon hyperlinked above and here keep seeming to apply and speak to me in this quest to reset my “concrete-skills”. In the area of my stupid expections, i need to move beyond, rise above, make allowances for things to not be as I planned. This post is starting to look/sound similar to my memory of my Trust post, from March 20. IN OTHER WORDS it’s still about trusting God. He has His purposes to be accomplished for me, even when things don’t add up like I had planned/figured. The idea is to set my plans for the day, commit those “works” to HIM in my quiet-time with Him and His Word, and watch to see His purpose revealed in my day as He sets the gears in motion.
Lessons in life don’t come easy sometimes, glad this lesson isn’t as much “train-wreck” as it other lessons have been.
Praise God.
~E