Being Called Out...

I don't know about you, but I don't like being called out.  My word for this year is positivity.  However, lately I have let my anger get the best of me, & it has turned to negativity.  And I have been called on it.

My husband has called me out on not only the anger, but my lack of patience as well.  When the nurse at the doctor's office called at the last minute to let us know our new doctor was not available for his appointment, I went off on the nurse and it was not her fault.  Since I've been working in the same customer service job for almost 19 years, you would think that I would know better. I know what it feels like to have someone yell at you for something that you have no control over.

God has also been calling me out on my lack of patience.  I've been looking into going to school.  However. I was becoming frustrated when I wasn't finding the school that He wanted me to go to right away.  God told me to just hold on and sure enough an online class within my budget became available. And He called me out again reminding me to wait on his timing and not my own.

I'll be honest with you.  When my husband calls me out I tend to get upset or angry. After all, I'm not perfect and neither is he. I don't take it much better when God calls me out. However, I must remember that both God and my husband are calling me out because they care about me.

How do you handle it when you're called out? Do you take criticism with a grain of salt and learn? Or do you do like I do intend to get upset and then have to go back and apologize? I think it's better to learn from your mistakes and accept the criticism. Otherwise we could go through life just making the same mistakes over and over again.

Joy out of Frustration

James 1:2-4 says "Dear brothers and sisters,[a] when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."

Does this mean we will jump for joy every time we have a trial in life?  Absolutely not!  However, it does mean that we need to understand that some trials in life are meant to teach us something.  You might learn the lesson immediately.  However, if you are stubborn like me, it could be months or even years before you learn that particular lesson.

A friend recently posted on her Facebook page that there are blessings not only in gifts God gives us, but also in the trials of life.  She is so right.  There have been things in my life that I begged God for... Only to either be told no, or to be told to wait.  I have been frustrated over a lot of things.  However, God's plan is ALWAYS better than mine.

So, how do we turn sorrow & frustration into joy?  It certainly isn't easy, and I know from experience that I can't do it on my own.  However, we have all heard Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." That means that if we seek God's will and ask Him for help, He can get us through any difficulty.

My prayer for anyone reading this is that you praise God in times of trouble.  I find that praise music helps tremendously.  It is very calming.  Use this and prayer to give you strength as you seek Joy out of Frustration.