In Him during Frustration ...

Monday, Sept 10, 2012. Yesterday I had what I would call an outburst of frustration. I was travelling to a meeting, first by train and then by plane. But already in the morning I felt rather concerned … and as soon as I had entered the intercity express a huge wave of frustration flooded my mind and my heart.

What can help? …

I was sitting in the train, and somehow did not want to do anything. I had a nice book with me, but reading was boring. I had my computer in front of me, with enough to do, but did not want to do it. Everything seemed difficult … my employer seemed to be “not interested” in my efforts to do sincere science. The administration seemed to be only concerned with trying to keep me away from real work with stupid rules. “I do not want to go on like this!” Many thoughts like this were swamping my mind.

How do you get out of such a hole of frustration? Do you have little tools or tricks? Do you treat yourself, go and get a beer or ice cream? Do you go swimming? I have been sitting in the train - with not much choice. On the other hand, I was travelling to a nice location, where other people spend their holiday (I will work there, intensively). But the nice place seemed to be a waste of time and effort. I would have rather gone home.

For me, the difference came when I started to pray. I have my little prayer diaries, one where I pray for other people, the other where I search for Gods guidance and listen to what he might say. So at that point I spend time to pray for everyone around me, for family and friends and colleagues. That brought me back into a constructive mode. After I had gone through the different groups, I was out of my hole! The frustration had not completely vanished, but it was no longer able to govern my mind and my heart. Hope was coming back, the hope that what seems impossible will turn out to be the truth. I did not know how it would turn, but I knew it could turn, it would turn, I would go on and do what is right, even if the structures and some people might make it difficult.

Turn to him …

“Turn to the Lord” … this command can be found many times in the biblical books. It is meant as a general command, turn to him with your life. But it can also be a help in situation like mine, where frustration comes and tries to lead you into the wrong direction.

We often see God only as the one for the big things. But he wants to be there in every little step of our life. He wants to guide us. He wants to be our goal and our strength. He wants to fill us with his spirit. He wants to help us.

When we turn to the Lord in trouble, he can help us. I experienced the help of his Holy Spirit yesterday, as the wave of frustration came. In his presence my frustration went away, and I came back to life, back to peace, back to hope and reality. Experiences like this are what comes to my mind when I hear the words “living in him”. (Roland Potthast) ... more texts