Frustration

How many of us feel like pulling our hair out in the mornings?

 

I have to say that at times I get very frustrated, but not nearly as much as my poor husband.  I have to be at work at 7:00 am, so that leaves Jason with getting the kids ready for school.  A typical day for us is get up at 6:20; I get my computer up and running to start my day at 7 – that generally takes 10 minutes to do.  I then go upstairs and pack lunches and have backpacks and lunch boxes in the truck by 7:40.  Great I have 20 minutes to get the kids up, dressed, fed and almost ready to go.  I go into Aaron’s room and turn on the light and start to sing Rise and Shine and Give God the Glory and then leave and go into Ashleigh’s room and sing it again – they hate this.  They get up and head to the couch, where they try to lay back down and get 5 more minutes, but I am right behind them fussing, you have 15 minutes to get ready and get something to eat before I have to go to work.  Aaron, bless his heart, usually gets right up and gets himself dressed – Ashleigh on the other hand, it’s a fight, I don’t want to wear that I want to wear this and then changes her mind.  It does not good to pick out her clothes the night before, done tried that.  Now the kids are ready, all but putting on shoes, eating breakfast (if they want any), taking medicine, and brushing teeth.  Once the kids are finished Jason sends them downstairs for me to help them put their shoes on and fix Ashleigh’s hair.  When I put it down on paper it doesn’t seem that bad – LOL.  But it’s the feeling you have of being late, of someone not listening to you and having to repeat something over and over again.  It is amazing, most mornings, they get out of the house on time and no one is late, how we do it I have no idea, but it gets done.  Have you ever stopped to think, maybe, this is how God might feel when He is dealing with us?  How many times has God had to tell you to do something?  I know from personal experience sometimes several.  Sometimes we question if we are truly hearing Gods call and sometimes we are running the other way and not wanting to listen.  I know how I feel when my children are not listening to me or they out right defy me – I know the since of exasperation I feel and then it slowly turns into anger.  Do I make God mad, does it start small with a since of frustration and then grow.  I shudder to think that I could displease my Lord – but I do it every day - but we are human and even if we are striving to be more like Christ we always fall short.  God knows we are imperfect and He knows that we will never be perfect.  I am sure He is very displeased or disappointed with me from time to time.  I know I don’t spend as much time reading my bible as I should and I don’t spend nearly enough time on my knees in prayer or in my prayer closet.  Does this displease God, yes it does.  God always wants to hear from us, even if it’s just a simple, Lord it’s me again, having a busy day, but wanted to stop and say Thanks or please help me through this report or call, keep my family safe or how about that special request or person that God has placed on our heart or mind to pray for.  God never said our prayers had to be long and lengthy and full of eloquent words.  When Jesus showed us how to pray in Matthew, this was a short prayer, but it came from the heart and He was sincere with his requests.

 

Matthew 6:9-13

After this manner therefore pray ye:  Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.  Amen.

 

More important, I try to instill in Aaron and Ashleigh the importance of prayer.  Jason and I have to remind them almost every time before they eat, pray!  And before we go to bed every night we pray.  Each one of the kids, along with mom and dad, has our own special request for prayer.  We make it a point to show how important it is to pray for those requests, no matter how insignificant we might think they are (praying for Ella – Nana’s dog) it is still important to them.  I also try to pray in the morning before they go to school, now I will admit it is more often forgotten, but I do try to pray with them.  I will admit I struggle daily, but God never promised an easy road.  I can only strive to be more diligent and pray that it is enough.  As always please keep us in your prayers as we seek to do God’s will, whatever that may be.