Overcoming Frustration

By Laura Christie and Marjorie Foerster Eddington

Question

How do you overcome frustration?

Answer

The way I overcome frustration is to quiet my own thinking. I step back from the situation and slow down. I like to think of the 23rd Psalm: "He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul" (23:2, 3 NKJV). Those are really comforting images for me that help me in my work.

I've worked with horses my entire life. The best part about my work is helping the horses and their riders become a team. There's a lot of joy that comes from that. Doing this requires understanding horses, which usually comes naturally and easily for me.

But there are times when reading horses or communicating with them can be hard. Sometimes frustration can come when you feel you're not getting results, or you just don't understand what's going on. At these times, I think of truth restoring my soul and giving me peace. Sometimes I do something else and think about the situation.

I also know that I'm not the one fixing the problem. I don't have to fight another being or mind to do it. Rather, I have to allow the truth to flow through me so I can guide the horses.

There are times when it can be tempting to think I have to do it all, but I can't. God is working through me: it's "God who performs all things for me" (Psalm 57:2 NKJV). I allow the divine Truth to come through. When I realize I don't have to do the work, when I release control to God, let go of concern, and let God do the work, then frustration disappears, and the answers come.

Laura Christie

Editor's Note:
Jesus also emphasized that God does the work: "Jesus explained, 'I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does'" (John 5:19 NLT). If God's doing the work, there's no reason to get frustrated. We'd only get frustrated if we thought that God weren't capable. God is infinitely capable and can do everything.

So as we let God work through us, we can be at peace, relax, and enjoy the process. Rather than getting caught up in the problem, we can get caught up in God – letting God work things out for us.

MFE