Reflections and Responses

What frustrates you? This morning, I became frustrated, and once the frustration crept into my mind, everything changed. I became critical, short-tempered, and judgmental. Suddenly I found everyone and everything annoying. I allowed one small interaction in the morning to color my focus and outlook for hours. Silly, isn't it? Does this ever happen to you? I found some definitions for "frustration" that helped me put words around why exactly the interaction I had this morning frustrated me: "Frustration is a common emotional response to opposition . Related to anger and disappointment, it arises from the perceived resistance to the fulfillment of individual will." (Ouch.) "A deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs" (Ah!) Basically, I became frustrated because I was challenged. I allowed my pride to be wounded. Someone did not comply with a request on my timeline, and this person...

In a few weeks, I'm heading to Berry College for Mountain Day. Mountain Day is homecoming, parents' weekend, and a holiday all rolled into one busy, hot, celebratory Saturday. The essential element of Mountain Day is the grand march. This tradition involves students lining up by class year and marching up and down a hill while holding hands. Students wear a specific colored shirt based on their gender and class year as well. I'm making it sound odd, but there is tradition and symbolism behind the march. (You can read more about Mountain Day here .) Other Mountain Day festivities include student olympics on the day prior, a picnic lunch, a church service, and reunions for various student organizations, clubs, and sports teams. The day was originally established because of the school founder Martha Berry's birthday, but it has evolved into much, much more. I never missed a Mountain Day as a student; in fact, my parents usually came up for the day, and we had a great time....

As I mindlessly scrolled through Facebook tonight, I stumbled upon a friend's status that stated exactly what I wanted to say in a blog post: "Learning about life and that it's not always fair-- at all. And that is okay. It has to be okay because we live in a broken world." So true. Married couples struggle with infertility while others accidentally get pregnant, orphans around the world starve while we live in the land of excess, perfectly healthy people are diagnosed randomly with cancer, people are hit by drunk drivers. None of this is fair. BUT, who am I to say what's fair? I'm not the painter creating the piece of art. I'm just one tiny spec on the canvas. Psalm 9:8 says, "And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity." The painter - the master - the creator - it is He who says what is fair and establishes justice as He wishes. My job is to pray that He will show me how to respond to th...

I am grateful that God enables us to stay humble. As soon as I begin to become prideful about an accomplishment or feel like I am something special, He reminds me of my inability to do anything without His intervention. Maybe you can relate - it seems that as soon as I "master" or conquer one challenge (with His help and by His grace), another one pops up seemingly out of nowhere. This allows me to constantly be reminded that I am truly not in control of anything, therefore causing me humble myself. It can be immensely frustrating to have a struggle pop up or re-emerge, but it serves as a healthy reminder that this is not my permanent home and He's not finished with me yet. I am just clay in the potter's hand - clay that needs humility to stay pliable to avoid drying or solidifying in poor form. As difficult as challenges and discipline can be, I like that God reminds me that I am only a small player in His story, not writing my own.