The off-white carpet reeked of spoiled milk and dog hair. Apple juice spills seemed to surface out of nowhere and never go away. Why would we buy a house with off-white carpet anyway? I chastised myself.

Now sitting here with my four-year-old boy and black labradoodle, this stay-at-home mom realized lighting another candle wouldn’t help. It came down to this. Either buy one more area rug to cover up the latest stain, or break down and clean the carpet. Knowing an area rug would only provide temporary relief, I surrendered and wagged out the heavy carpet shampooer.

Keeping the boy busy playing in his room and the dog outside gave me the space needed to turn this shabby living area back into a showplace. My excitement grew just thinking about it! Look at me. Super mom. It only took an hour, and just as I finished the final pass of hot steam revealing renewed flooring in all its glory, the unthinkable happened.

Hearing a scratch at the back door, my little helper darted from his room. Before I could stop him he opened the door, allowing a 70 pound crusher of dreams to bound through the living room.

Did I mention it was raining?

His muddy paws left trails every which way as I raced to catch him. My efforts were unsuccessful. By the time he settled down, I felt an anger bubble inside me unlike anything I’d ever felt.

And I screamed.

Not just any normal I’m-a-little-upset-at-you scream. This was the kind that forms deep in the gut and burns your throat as it comes out. The kind that makes you stop and look around to see who else is in the room. Because that couldn’t have been you.

“GO TO YOUR ROOOOOOOM!” I aimed my anger at my child who was just trying to help. And he obeyed.

Oh how I wish I could have that day back. Because in the quiet of the aftermath, I realized I just needed a moment in God’s presence to bring my perspective back to where it needed to be.

“Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” Psalm 84:10

The psalmist who wrote today’s verse knew the wonders of spending just a minute in the presence of the Lord. He compares one day with God to a thousand away from Him. This message speaks volumes to my guilty heart in a fresh new way today.

Life is filled with mistakes we wish we could take back. But God’s Word ushers in peace and grace right when we need it. One day - one minute - one moment at a time.

If one day with God will provide relief to last a thousand, how much will a single moment in his presence provide the peace we need to get through today’s challenges? So when life seems out of control and we struggle to hold it together, let’s remember this.

One minute in God’s presence will revive my withered perspective.

In the brief moment following the infamous scream incident, I reached out to God, and He met me there. His presence turned the whole atmosphere of our home into something new. Something a steam cleaner could never do. He renewed my withered perspective, and the rest of our day was filled with playing, hugging, loving, and living in His blessings.

What sweet, sweet restoration it was.

I still sometimes wish I could relive that day. Do it over with a changed vision and attitude. But I tell you this story today to offer hope.

I pray in these turbulent days you are able to find just one moment to be in His presence. Whether you’re at home attempting to keep the kids busy, an essential worker in need of rest, or an empty-nester longing for connection. One moment in His loving care is far better than a thousand anywhere else. One moment to embrace the grace to see us through.

Blessings,

Kristine

Have you seen this resource for help with life’s frustrations?

You can find these One Sentence Prayers for Letting Go of Frustration in the Life Enrichment Library, along with other exclusive content for subscribers. Click the link here to gain access to all our downloadable resources.

Yesterday our college-bound kid received an email.

Not just any email, though. This was an email we needed a few weeks ago, to make an important decision before an upcoming deadline. A response to three phone calls and one email request for information.

Did I mention we needed it before the deadline??

Needless to say, frustration hit instantly. Reading that innocent first line, “Did you have a question I can help you with?” sent me reeling. I wanted my words to express my irritation. I wanted the recipient to feel my frustration right through the screen.

So I waited to respond, because I knew I would regret it later. And once those words are out there, I can’t take them back.

It felt pretty good making it through that moment, but later that day the same frustration came bouncing back.

On my way home from a grocery run, my husband called. I took that as my opportunity to get it all out. Go for that temporary fix we talked about in week one.

“You will never guess what happened today!” started the conversation, then I let the whole frustrated scene play out while he gently listened. His response brought a much-needed heart check.

“We aren’t going to let that steal our joy today.”

My husband’s comment was just what I needed to hear. It also reminded me of an important truth. Frustration doesn’t end with a one-time easy fix. When we allow those little annoyances to fester, frustration finds a temporary home in our hearts. That’s why even the smallest thing can trigger it again. So what’s the solution? Is it possible to keep frustration away all the time?

First we need to make sure we aren’t giving it more power than it deserves. Frustration is just a feeling, but God’s presence is greater. Remember our statement from week one?

The way to take control away from frustration is to pay more attention to God’s presence than my feelings.

But the reality is that life has stuff, and that stuff can frustrate us. So secondly, we need a plan in place to recognize when it begins and block it from coming back again and again.

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3 ESV

Keeping my mind stayed on God will help me replace frustration with peace.

If you’re battling frustration like me, know that God understands our frustrations and wants us to bring those to Him. God created us. He doesn’t want us to get frustrated with ourselves or feel defeated. As we learn to keep our minds on Him and turn each frustrated moment back to His beauty and grace, we will feel more of His peace. Then with that peace, we will be better equipped to push frustration away the next time, and the next, and the next.