Written by Rev. Rebecca D. Reeder, Associate Pastor, Sewickley Presbyterian Church
Daily 414, 2020-7-31
“I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
–Ephesians 4:1-3
I’m SO Annoyed With…
Fill in the blank – my spouse, my roommate, my coworker, my children, my parents, my siblings, my friend. After more than four months of social distancing, canceled plans, and relentless questions about the future getting in the way of making any new concrete plans, it’s extremely easy to get annoyed with the people closest to us, the ones we actually do get to see regularly or every day. Sometimes the annoyance rises out of nowhere and for seemingly no reason at all. But if we are to continue living faithfully in this time, “bearing with one another in love” as Paul exhorts us, doing so with humility and gentleness, and with PATIENCE, we need to figure out exactly what is at the root of our annoyances, repent of our own shortcomings, and seek forgiveness and reconciliation with each other.
In the Prepare-Enrich blog this week, Laura Guida discusses some concrete actions we can take when we get annoyed with someone in our lives. Although she frames it in the context of a spousal relationship, she adds, “This game plan will not only help you in your relationship with your partner, but may also be valuable in your other relationships as well.” Here is a game plan for the next time you get annoyed with [fill in the blank]:
1. Take a step back. Reflect on the situation and try to pinpoint exactly why you are annoyed.
2. Refocus and act. Once you’ve figured out what is driving your feelings of annoyance, it’s time to refocus on the actual issue and take action.
Guida gives detailed suggestions within each of these steps for how to take a step back and reflect, and what to refocus on and do once you’ve figured out the source of your annoyance. I encourage you to read the full article HERE. Remember, we’re all in this pandemic together, even as we are physically distanced – so let us make every effort “to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
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