It's a fact of life that we face struggles on an almost daily basis. There will always be that one pillow who faces the abuse of being yelled in to. There will always be that one little gadget sitting on top of our desks that happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and is sent across the room at a difficult moment. Frustration is one of the main reasons I believe things are being made indestructible in our society.
There is nothing more frustrating than having to walk across the room after a bit of frustration to pick up the innocent items. In fact, it almost frustrates you more. Seeing the proof of your frustration, not even just in items but in the faces of people you may have lashed out at, adds inner frustration. Yet, we still seem to believe that adding on this inner frustration is a treatment to the normal frustrations of life. Wouldn't it just be easier to face frustration with a little faith?
"The end is near; so much is left to say. The world is getting cold tonight. The traumatized people are so afraid. I smile because everything's alright." ("Smile, It's the End of the World" by Hawk Nelson) Maybe they are on to something. Is it a wild idea to laugh away our troubles, or something we should all become brave enough to do? In the face of disaster, should we be traumatized and afraid, or smiling with the faith that things will work out?
The best cure to frustration is to open the Bible to a favorite passage and read it aloud with a smile on your face, whether or not that smile begins sincere. By the time you finish reading, the smile will have become sincere and the words of whatever verse you are reading start ringing true. It is hard to remain frustrated with a smile on your face. Instead, you are calm and collected, and frustrations pass. Sometimes, it's better to laugh in the face on danger than to fight if off upset.
