Annoyances

We all have those little things that really bother us. As a junior high school teacher I have learned to endure many of them. However, I have my share of pet peeves. This morning I was particularly annoyed at my cat Ginger. She was in the kitchen at 3:00 in the morning scratching at the bag of cat food. Upon checking it was noted that she did have food in her bowl. Why was she scratching? She wanted attention! She has learned that when she makes an annoying noise someone will come and she gets attention.

Of course, most of our annoyances come from other people. But I wonder how many of the things that people do that we consider annoyances are simply their way of getting some attention. All of us are filled with needs and we desparately want someone to respond to us. We have found that to be the cause of most misbehaviors in our students at school.

We are encouraged in the Bible to be burden-bearers. In order to do so, however, we must be both spiritual and meek. As spiritual people we respond to others with a desire to help them with their need rather than as an annoyance we wish would go away. Meekness or being under control is an essential quality in doing that. Sometimes we provide annoyances to others without even realizing it. A quote from a person that I saw on a website about annoyances said, "some of those folks with the "Christian" bumperstickers have the worst driving habits as well--you know, talking on cell phones, cutting people off, etc." That person was annoyed by people who advertise their Christian position with a bumper sticker and then didn't follow through with appropriate behavior. Let's be careful today to respond to others with patience and attention to their needs and at the same time be careful that we do not provide the annoyance ourselves.