Get to Good

I have a routine - I'm sure most of us do.  My Friday morning routine is to leave my home for work and ensure that I stop at Dunkin Donuts to pick up a coffee.  It is my "once a week" treat.  Fridays are my guilty pleasure day - especially in autumn when Pumpkin Spice coffee is on the menu.  Yes, I may have been running five minutes behind schedule, but that's okay - it's Friday!

That five minutes turned into seven by the time I got to Dunkin.  Those couple of school buses I wasn't counting on didn't help.  Frustration was mounting.   I pulled up and the car directly in front of me had three teenage girls in it.  And it took them FOREVER to place their order.  ALL I WANTED WAS A COFFEE!!   Yes, my mind went from a "Yea, it's Friday" mind to a "You've got to be kidding" mind.  The mind started racing with unpleasant thoughts and my impatience grew as every second passed.  Finally - they got ALL their stuff and moved on.  I pulled up and the cashier said, "Those girls just paid for your order."  WAIT - Really??  A bunch of high school girls who were holding up my day paid for my order?  As you would suspect, all that pent up frustration melted away.  I passed on the kindness to the car behind me and went on.  I have provided random kindness for many in the coffee line, but never was the recipient.  

As I drove away, there wasn't a smile on my face.  There was a plea to God.  "Please forgive me God, for my lack of patience and my big bag of frustration.  These girls had put together their money to show me some kindness.  May I learn patience from this."  The situation deeply impacted me that day, and has since then.  I reflect back and realize so greatly that God wanted me to stop this pettiness and move forward.  Does that happen to you?  That small moment of negativity/frustration/anger/inconvenience turns into a mountain of nastiness.  For what?  Chances are it won't impact you long term.  God doesn't want that for our lives.  God wants to be pulled into our journey on Earth - by us!  He wants us to go to him, talk to him with our frustrations, and then leave them on HIS shoulders.  God will handle the rest.  Many times, just the act of reaching out to God with our "nastiness" changes our perspective and gets us to a better place. 

The situation reminded me of something I read from Joyce Meyer's book, Living a Life you Love.  In it she shares the 5 Minute Rule - if this is something that isn't going to impact you in 5 minutes, 5 days or 5 weeks, why are we putting so much energy behind it?  I shared it with my husband and now the two of us remind each other when we start complaining about something - "Five Minute Rule"!  Little things in life are going to happen and annoyances may fill our days.  Don't let them grow into mountains of "nastiness".  Give it to God and Get to Good!  Have some simple faith that God has this - He is so much greater than we are!  May your days ahead bring you less frustration and more happiness!  The end will always be better!!

Dearest Jesus - help me to look at situations with less criticism and greater understanding.  May I come to you with my small annoyances and may you change my heart to greater happiness.   Don't let me get to the mountain of nastiness - let me run to you with frustration and please change my heart so I can share your love.  In your gracious name I pray.  Amen!