“Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.”

Psalm 37:8-9

What do you do when you get frustrated? How do you respond?

While driving in Vegas this week I was in the wrong lane. I wanted to go straight but was set to turn left. I put on my blinker, checked my mirrors and merged back to the right. There was a car coming—but I had time. And I gunned it. The guy behind me wasn’t happy.  But I waved an apologetic hand and moved on. Did I cut him off, probably. But, was it egregious? Absolutely not. Not even close. 

We kept driving down the road and all was good. Until I turned left. The guy behind me kept going straight. And, as he drove past me he chucked a soda can at my car. Seriously?!? Who throws a can out the window at another car?

Later that day the elevators were giving us fits. Your room key was needed to gain access to the right floor. That afternoon the scanner wasn’t working great. It wasn’t reading cards accurately and was denying people access to the floor. The good news was each elevator had two scanners and one of them was always working. 

One of our lift mates was struggling with the scanner. His key wasn’t being read. Time was short for him as the elevator was about to pass his floor. I offered to help and pointed towards the other scanner. Even still, it was too fast or he was too slow. The lift went past his floor.

Annoying? For sure!

Frustrating? Absolutely!

Tragic? Far from it. Oh if this was the worst part of any of our weeks. 

The next moment was almost as startling as the can thrown hours before. The guy went off. He started kicking the elevator door. He slammed his hand against it and screamed. 

Me and the kids were wide eyed, shocked, and more than a little uncomfortable. 

“Easy buddy!” I said. As I prayed the lift would move quickly to our floor. It dinged and I shuffled my kids off quickly before making a final comment.

“I hope your day gets better from here…” I meant it. But was also laying on a healthy dose of perspective. If not for him, at least for my kids. 

How do you respond when you’re frustrated? What do you do when a moment or circumstance doesn’t go your way? How do you respond when things go awry?

It is easy to get angry. There are so many things that bombard each day with opportunities to explode and implode. External and internal pressure that bring you to the brink. How do you release the pressure? How do you prevent a gasket busting in your temper meter?

Relieving such pressure in a healthy way looks a lot like how you open a 2 liter of coke after it topples over. Carefully and with quick twist open and closed to release some of the pressure without making a mess. 

The truth is, there were moments that I erupted this week as well. I was short with my kids on too many occasions. The stress of moments caused me to lash out at the one I love the most on this planet (Sorry Deanna!). And, I struggled to hide my disgust while watching a lot of volleyball moments and situations bounce in the wrong direction. 

The drama of club volleyball is filled with moments to fret over. And so it is with life too!

Anger isn’t a sin. But it can be. Righteous anger is a holy calling. It is a mantel that rests on every disciple’s shoulders. To get angry about the things that God gets angry about is holiness. It is faithful. 

But, Anger is not something that we ought to seek out either. Often times it is something we push against and resist. Responding in anger to many of life’s twists and turns is often not the best.

Learning to respond with grace to life’s struggles, headaches, and nuisances is an art form. It’s one I have not mastered—but I’m working at it. I hope you are too. 

Traditionally, people who become master artists begin by studying under someone else first. an apprenticeship is a place where someone learns and grows while honing their craft.

Who are the masters in your life of responding to struggles with grace? How can you learn under their wings and grow? Ask them questions. Probe their story that has shaped them to be filled with patience. 

Waiting on the Lord is the secret of course. And it has far less to do with the waiting room at the dentist. We are not waiting around for the Lord. (I’m writing this email in a hotel lobby as my family waits for hours to head to the airport)

Waiting on the Lord is more about the wait staff at your favorite restaurant. It is about working really hard to perceive the Lord’s desires before hand. It is about serving and going above and beyond for the Lord. 

What do I mean by serving the Lord? Well, in truth, it probably has more to do with how you respond in love and service to the people around you. Even the ones that through cans at your car or kick elevators.

Who is a master of grace in your world? How will you learn from them in the week ahead?