Now why did someone take the time to do that? I guess they were just relieving some stress. Maybe it was personal or church related. I don’t know. I told my wife about it, and she and I agreed it was just a petty aggravation. Of course, it was frustrating to me. Someone was spreading their own petty aggravation to me and it gave me petty aggravation. It would take some time and money to fix. And considering my lack of skills, I’d have to get someone else to do it. What a bother! As if didn’t have enough to concern myself with already.

It was as if someone knew just what button to push at just the right time. Because I was already dealing with some very frustrating things this week. But somehow it really ministered to me. Instead of figuring out who did it and why and making them “pay for it”, or making some big deal out of it that would ruin my attitude, my day, or my weekend, I asked the Lord about it. And I talked to my fellow elders about it. They said it was the other person’s problem, not ours. And fortunately, we live in a land of plentiful mailboxes.

And then the godly thought hit me. Someone was spreading their own petty aggravation to me and it gave me petty aggravation. But would I take that petty aggravation and try to put it on someone else? Would I spread it out, or stop it from spreading? Would I make the world a more hurting and hurtful place? Or would I let the healing start with me?