Take A Deep Breath

Starting your day getting a mammogram is bad enough. I had to add aggravation to the mix.

I only made one wrong turn on my way to my appointment. A quick U-turn in traffic had me on the right track in no time. The only problem was, when I checked in at the desk, they had no idea who I was. Seems I had made a minor mistake. They were the wrong facility! A few phone calls later, I still had no idea where to go.

I drove the ten miles back home, found the paper I should have taken with me in the first place, got the right address, and called to see if they would still take me since I was an hour late. They would. I hopped into the car and got there just in time to sit for OVER TWO HOURS. Wasn't it bad enough that I had to get a mammogram? Did I have to spend my entire day (well, it seemed like all day) waiting for them to call me into the torture chamber?

So, how was your day?

We all have days that don't turn out exactly as planned. Stressful situations pop up, sometimes by our own doing (such as mine) or by our dealings with other people. Why or how they come into our lives is not the most important thing. How we handle them is.

What do you do when faced with stressful situations? Fall apart? Get angry and upset? Vent your feelings on the person you think is causing your stress?

Best thing to do? Take a deep breath. Say, "God, my life isn't going as planned. I want to exhibit your attitude in this situation. Help me to act and speak as you would. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to experience your peace in my chaos and to show others how to handle even daily irritations in a Christ-like way."

You will be amazed at how much those words, or some like them, can de-stress your life. Why? Because you are taking what Satan could use to harm you and others and turning it into an opportunity to become more Christ like in your life. Your example will also draw people to the God.

Taking a deep breath and letting God live out through me, even in stressful times, Gloria