Frustration!

It was one of those weeks. If it could go wrong at work, it went wrong. It is the end of the year and let me tell you that attorneys get in high gear at the end of the year. Everything has to be done and it must be done RIGHT NOW! We have had several secretaries out of the office for the holidays and the work has just been never ending. I'm not too sure if you happen to know an attorney but if an attorney gets stressed...guess what...their staff gets stressed! haha

In the midst of work drama, Kristina is in a school theatre production. Her hours have been crazy and we have been burning up the streets getting her home from practice late every night. We believe in having our children do chores around the house and naturally her chores have been neglected because she is either not home or when she is home, she is doubling up on homework so I have been trying to pick up the slack for her. I'm not too sure if you have children but if your child gets stressed...guess what...their Mom gets stressed! haha

To add to the pot Shane was beginning his first week of day shift. Shane works for an auto manufacturer and they work a two week swing shift (2 weeks days/2 weeks nights). Rotating to the night shift does seem to affect him but rotating to days just does him in. We live a little over an hour from his plant so he must wake up in the mornings at 4:00 in order to get dressed, get his stuff together and make it to work before the assembly line starts moving at 6:30. Needless to say, he is a little grumpy his first week of days. I love that man but it sure is hard to show him love sometimes during this week. I don't know if you have ever had a grumpy husband but if your husband gets stressed...guess what...their wife gets stressed! haha

After crying tears of frustration off and on this particular day I bowed my head and prayed a simple prayer for some strength to continue the day. I opened the internet on my computer, pulled up biblegateway.com and typed in Galations 5. God is so good in that he just took over my fingers and sent me to just what I needed to read. I made my way down to verses 13-15. "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other." Wow! I surely needed to read that at that very moment. It is so easy to jump in the fire of frustration, stress and grumpiness when everyone around you is swimming in that pool. It is so hard to love others when all you get in return is frustration, words of stress and anxiety or short and snarled words of anger. But, these verses reminded me that at these times, when you just can't seem to find love, just love them through Jesus. When it all breaks down that is the only way we love anyway. GOD IS LOVE! Plain and simple, love them like Jesus!