Driving While Angry

 

I was frustrated. And I just knew the rest of my day would be affected by it.

I didn’t like how the conversation with my husband had gone, but I needed to drive the kids to school. Plus, due to an important phone call, our little chat had come to an abrupt end before I was able to express my displeasure. Unable to wait for Tim to get off the phone, I drove our chatterboxes to school; and as I drove, irritation ruled my thoughts. With just a small amount of guilt, I began to dissect the whole conversation knowing I could pin the blame on my husband.

After the kids were dropped off and the van filled with silence, I took a moment to still my mind. That’s when my conscience told me to pray. Stuffing back indignation over the fact that my hubby had absolutely no idea I was angry, I whispered two words… “God, help.”

I didn’t see a beam of light, or hear angels sing.

What did happen? The negativity dissipated and I knew I was being a drama queen. Maintaining silence and keeping that two word prayer repeating over and over while I reflected on the minutes before I had left home, a truth dawned on me- it wasn’t that someone was wrong; something was wrong.

I had let a simple misunderstanding turn into a blame game. 

Just because Tim’s male thought pattern had clashed with my female way of processing information, I was ready to proclaim myself right and my husband wrong. But neither of us meant any harm and a lack of communication almost turned into hurt feelings. Oh how grateful I am for the phone call that forced me to close my mouth, walk away and calm down!

How many times in our lives do we see situations like this played out?

I’m sad to admit I allow this to happen far too often.

What is interesting though, is that my first thought as I pulled out of my driveway that morning was right. The rest of my day truly was affected by my frustration because I had learned a valuable lesson.

When a conversation doesn’t go the way we want; we need to stop and ask ourselves a few questions before we get carried away by emotions and feelings.

Relationships can be tricky, but if we cut out the unnecessary drama, they get a lot easier.

In case you were wondering…I went home and hugged my hubby. I also shared with him the truth God had dropped into my heart. We took a few moments to talk about the morning and guess what…we had been in agreement the whole time! We just had different ways of saying the same thing. I felt a bit silly for being frustrated, but at the same time, I felt grateful for a God who cares enough to hear and respond to the prayers we pray- even if they aren’t eloquent and just a two word plea for help.

Once again, I was reminded that life is full of choices…let’s choose the path that leads to healthier relationships and to the Joy that only God gives.