Looking for the light

^"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:6-9 NIV

We are currently planning our family vacation, and as much as I love traveling with my husband, I realized that over the past few days I could feel the stress starting to creep into my shoulders.  This morning I was struggling not to complain over insignificant things, and had to corral my emotions as I looked for hotels where we would be staying. I felt as though there was a wasp in my soul, stinging me over and over again.  Taking note, I chose to make a list of blessings before I moved on much further.  As I made a concentrated effort to focus on the blessings I have in abundance, I was finally able to get to the root of my emotional roller coaster.

You see, I love the greater family, and enjoy being able to visit with them. What I don't love is all the odd and old emotions that often crop up as we are planning and as we spend time with them.  We are a diverse group, with many different opinions. As with any group of people who don't always see things in the same way, it can be stretching to spend time together. Finding a well lit path to navigate the sometimes dark and tangled trail, can be difficult, but it's not impossible.

Here are a few things I choose to do to stay on the right track:

• Remember that everyone has a right to their opinion.  Be gracious in allowing others to share theirs, and don't pick up an offense if theirs doesn't agree with yours.  If at all possible, find common ground for conversations, avoiding the "hot" topics. Even if someone seems particularly determined to be controversial, try to steer the conversation back to areas of agreement. If it's not possible to do so, it's OK to say "I don't agree with you, but let's agree to disagree agreeably."
• Be aware that there are some people who like to "bait" and are just looking to argue. My mother used to say "Don't rise to the bait." It's sound advice. If someone is "fishing for a fight" you have no obligation to be the fish.
• Look for the good, even in the one who may ruffle your feathers the most. There are very few people in the world who are truly evil. Even if we don't agree with someone's politics, lifestyle choice, or religion, we can still be kind. Be the one who exhibits maturity and self-control. "A soft answer turns away wrath." (Proverbs 15:1) is a good starting point. Sometimes though, the best reply is to say nothing at all, but to simply smile and love them the way Christ loves us all.
• Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Be so transparent that only Jesus is seen. Practice what you know to be true in maintaining a right heart's attitude.
• Trust God and thank Him for the opportunity He has placed before you. He is in control and knows everything you are feeling, and what struggles you may have before you. He is also always faithful to His children and will graciously guide us through every one. When in doubt, shut your mouth and sigh a silent prayer for His glory to shine brightly through you. He is able to make the most difficult situation into something of glory if we'll let Him take control.

Hopefully as I find myself in the midst of the darkened arena of life outside of the everyday norm, I will have the presence of mind to remember and to keep looking for the light.

I pray you will be able to do so as well.

May God bless and keep you at all times.