Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Is frustration irrelevant?

I get frustrated pretty frequently these days.

I get frustrated with my poor academic performance thus far in the semester.
I get frustrated with my "health problems."
I get frustrated with my supposed inabilities and my irresponsibility.
I get frustrated with my friendships that are not where I want them to be.
I get frustrated with my job and my boss.
I get frustrated with other things I'm not going to mention on here.

I also get frustrated with my own propensity to be negative when it comes to my own life, and to complain rather than rejoice.

And then last night, as I was reading Brennan Manning's The Ragamuffin Gospel, I came across his inclusion of a quote by the English mystic Julian of Norwich: "The greatest honor we can give Almighty God is to live gladly because of the knowledge of his love."

I've been thinking a lot about God's "furious" love, as Manning calls it, mainly because of my own unending encounters with it. But...I have in no way been responding to it like I should have.

Way to put me in my place, there, Julian.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

And remember, though this is in no comparison, you have God's love forever always, and you have mine! I love you...I miss you...keep that in mind when you get frustrated! Trust me, I'm right there with your frustrations.

Kate said...

i can really relate when you say frustrated with health problems...unfortunately.