Not being able to find my purse when I am trying to walk out the door to go to church...
Arguing with the internet people for the millionth time over a problem that is apparently no one's fault...
Fighting a very strong willed two year old who has decided she absolutely will NOT get in her car seat...
Walking out of Wal-Mart empty handed because I cannot find anything because the layout of the store is so completely different from any I have ever been to...
Dealing with the woman working at Sonic who got mad at me because the credit card machine wasn't working...
Hearing a woman speaking hateful gossip in the bathroom at church...
There are so many times in my life that I get upset or frustrated, whether with my kids or people I meet or interact with, and I am just OVER IT. I get angry and frustrated. I reach a point where any and all semblance of patience is gone, and I really think I am going to LOSE IT.
Then I read this post, Profound Typos, from The Preacher's Wife.
She was explaining how her phone auto corrects words when it thinks there is a typo. In the midst of her frustration, she tried to type this on Twitter, "About to lose my religion with these cable people!"
Her phone, smart phone that it is, corrected her "typo" and changed it to, "About to LIVE my religion with these cable people!"
Here is what she had to say about how this "correction" affected her, and again, this was just something that I really needed to hear:
"What if, in those moments we are about to lose our religion we live it instead? That we would get to that point of explosion and rather than vomit rage we would be a geyser of grace? That we would lay down our pride and get over ourselves for just a minute? Luke has been preaching a series on revival and it’s eating my lunch. One of the big issues I have faced this year is how to guard against bitterness when my family is maligned by those who have absolutely no clue what they are talking about. My flesh tempts me to respond in kind because I’m so over it. OVER IT. But Jesus has reminded me so many times in my spirit, “Forgive them, for they no not what they do.” I have to remember that the majority of people who lash out are doing it out of their own issues and that those have nothing to do with me at all. Hurt people hurt people. So do I hurt them back? No. I reach out. I entreat. I apologize for any real or perceived offense. If there is no response and they continue their angry tirade? Well, then I love them with the cross in between us. The end."
I don't know if this resonates with anyone else, or just me, but I just had to share. And I intend to continue to work harder at responding in GRACE and not in anger or bitterness. To try to LIVE my faith in my frustration, rather than LOSING it.
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