Maybe plague is an exaggeration. And yet it seems there has been an onslaught of 'irks' buzzing me these last couple of weeks. Just when I think I've swatted away an 'irk' another one would appear. "Lord, what do You want me to do with this?" has been a frequent conversation starter lately.
What exactly is an 'irk'? Sometimes it is a reaction to an irritant that comes from my own selfish tendencies or quirky likes/dislikes. Other times the 'irk' is a result of someone else's self-centered behavior or from a lack of social graces. And then there are times the 'irk' is simply a pest stemming from an issue that I am not in the position to control yet am in the position to bear some responsibility for.
How do you exterminate these pesky 'irks'? The answer would have been simple in my former years. Swat and throw punches until the 'irk' is gone. Yeah. You're right. That didn't work very well in the long run. Was definitely hard on relationships and usually not conducive to Godly character building. So back to the "Lord, what do You want me to do with this?"
He has answered this same prayer in different ways. Quite often He asks me to continue to listen to how He wants me to pray for the 'irk, irkee or irkor'. And sometimes He tells me to "Get over it!" And then He has said "Give Me time, I'm working on it". There are some 'irks' that require being addressed rather than ignoring or swatting. These are the kind that don't go away but continue buzzing your head and possibly leaving a few stingers. This is the hardest kind for me. Almost miss the days of swatting and throwing punches.
Just kidding...and so you won't give up on me, know that after I ask God what He wants me to do, I ask Him for the grace and wisdom to do only what brings Him glory. I really know this 'irk plague' isn't about me, if I don't make it about me, that is.
So, if you are inclined to pray for me, you might ask Him to deliver me from the 'irk plague'.
Maybe throw in a request for wisdom, discernment and patience too. And would you mind asking for a small dose of chocolate too? Not a whole bag or I'll over indulge and have a different kind of plague to deal with. Well, maybe we should leave the prayer to the simplistic prayer of Father Tim..."Not thy will, Father, but Yours."
We all have irkers and are the irkers ourselves. Hmmm, sometimes dying to self, sometimes loving in spite of. My personal thought during the middle of last nights wrestling with God-----chocolate, iPad, Molly, my favorite blanket and my bed. Didn't get all that until I laid down and died at His feet. Oy....the irkers always bring change in me.
ReplyDeleteYou know the timing of this post .....OY! You've got me pondering some situations now. Quite a few of them are revealing that they are things I can't control and show how much I still need to grow in Love for others.
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