Summers in Virginia are long, hot, and humid. A/C isn't really a luxury here--more like a necessity--and when it's out of commission, it's a lightning-quick hop from discomfort to misery. So when the A/C in our car broke down a couple of summers ago, we got the car in to the shop pronto!
Our mechanic (an honest, fair and reliable caretaker of our aging automobiles) fixed the A/C in short order. It still felt warm driving home, but since it's only six blocks from our mechanic to our house, I knew there hadn't been sufficient time for the A/C to cool the car down properly.
But the next day was a different story. There was air coming out of the vents all right, but it was hot air! I fiddled with the dials and controls but nothing brought the cool relief I was expecting. My drive in the sweltering heat was making my own temperature rise, and the frustration I felt at knowing we'd just had the car in to repair the problem wasn't helping any.
It wasn't until I was almost home that I realized that I had inadvertently turned the thermostat dial to the red zone (for heat) instead of to the blue zone (for cooling)!
Reflecting on this experience, I realized that something similar often happens in our day-to-day lives. We get frustrated or angry--with ourselves, with others, even with God--because things aren't comfortable, or aren't going the way we planned, expected, or wanted them to. It's easy to jump to conclusions, blaming others or feeling sorry for ourselves. And it's easier still to fail to examine how our own actions (purposeful or accidental) are contributing to our current challenges or circumstances.
I think some of our difficulties can be traced to us having turned the control dial the wrong way; failing to do something we could do which would bring us some measure of relief. Things like getting enough sleep, spending time in prayer or meditation, saying "no" when our plate is already full, and focusing a little more on people and a little less on tasks.
So the next time you're feeling frustrated or angry, don't forget to check that dial on your thermostat!
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| "Final High Temperature" by Michael @ NW Lens is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 |
Our mechanic (an honest, fair and reliable caretaker of our aging automobiles) fixed the A/C in short order. It still felt warm driving home, but since it's only six blocks from our mechanic to our house, I knew there hadn't been sufficient time for the A/C to cool the car down properly.
But the next day was a different story. There was air coming out of the vents all right, but it was hot air! I fiddled with the dials and controls but nothing brought the cool relief I was expecting. My drive in the sweltering heat was making my own temperature rise, and the frustration I felt at knowing we'd just had the car in to repair the problem wasn't helping any.
 |
| "D&W Autos - Mechanic At Work 2" by Jonesemyr is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0 |
Reflecting on this experience, I realized that something similar often happens in our day-to-day lives. We get frustrated or angry--with ourselves, with others, even with God--because things aren't comfortable, or aren't going the way we planned, expected, or wanted them to. It's easy to jump to conclusions, blaming others or feeling sorry for ourselves. And it's easier still to fail to examine how our own actions (purposeful or accidental) are contributing to our current challenges or circumstances.
 |
| "Untitled-Scanned-31" by neaththetwilightsky is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 |
I think some of our difficulties can be traced to us having turned the control dial the wrong way; failing to do something we could do which would bring us some measure of relief. Things like getting enough sleep, spending time in prayer or meditation, saying "no" when our plate is already full, and focusing a little more on people and a little less on tasks.
So the next time you're feeling frustrated or angry, don't forget to check that dial on your thermostat!
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