What happens when life squeezes?

When humans are squeezed, what comes out of them is what they harbour inside of themselves.

The above is an interesting quote I came across a while back, but also one that makes me go "ouch!".

I have always admired people who stay cool, calm and graceful under pressure. And yes, when I'm around other people I can many times keep my cool when something irritating or painful or stressful happens. For example, when I stub my toe, or I have to answer the 5th call in a row at work. But what happens when no-one else is around? We then tend to think it's safe to let off a little steam. Who's gonna see/hear/notice?

But I don't want to just be calm and graceful on the outside. I want to be that on the inside too!

This new teaching I'm going on and on about, the one about praising God for EVERYTHING, helps. I don't always remember to do it and it's not always my first instinct, but I am becoming more aware of how woefully short I fall of the standard I want to achieve and I'm trusting God to help me change.

And it's amazing how quickly I can snap myself out of an irritated mood by focusing on praising God for the cause of the irritated mood and for the mood itself. It's not long after starting to praise that I realise I can ask forgiveness, and just let it go. Or otherwise get to the real reason for why I'm upset and then deal with that.

Praise God for stubbing my toe? I have to, so that God can add some sugar to the bitter juice and make some lemonade when life starts squeezing me.