It takes a lot to get me feeling exasperated – intensely irritated or frustrated, or so I thought. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that I tend to keep feelings of exasperation held up inside, and this creates all sorts of physical issues for me — headaches, shortness of breath, dizziness, let alone feelings of overwhelm and anxiousness.

Some of the things that can leave me feeling exasperated are:

• Making mistakes at work.
• A messy house that no one seems to care about but me.
• Feeling as if my husband is not paying attention to me.

Exasperation is a feeling, and not a reality. When that feeling creeps up, I have to look deep within myself and ask what is the root of this feeling. Most often, there is an underlying reason that is causing the irritability and frustration.

Do I need to slow down at work?

Do I need to stop trying to control the people in my life?

Do I need to forgive my husband?

Whenever I feel exasperated, I have to take a deep breath and remember that God is with me. There is nothing that He cannot handle, especially those things that feel out of my own control. When I invite Him in, he helps me to stop, relax and breathe. When I meet Him in prayer, he removes my exasperation and replaces it with peace so that I am able to resume living in a state of rest.

God comes to bring peace in the midst of my frustration. I simply have to ask.