That's How I Roll...

It seems that the older I get the more I like things certain ways, where as before it didn't seem to matter. One of those is the toilet paper roll... Used to be that I didn't care which way the paper rolled off the roll, just as long as I had it there when needed. But now I really like to have it roll from the top. Don't get me wrong, I'll still take it any way it rolls as long as it's there when needed.
With age comes the wisdom to know that this is not a battle I wish to take on with the members of my household; who just hap hazardly places the roll on the holder. It is simply easier for me to flip the roll than to try to convert the family.
Things as small and insignificant as which way the toilet paper comes off the roll can serve as triggers igniting the fuse to deeper pinned up frustration. In my own life I have learned that what sets me off is usually not what I'm really angry at. But rather it's just enough to begin a chain reaction of emotion resulting from unresolved issues. The less I tend to deal with issues that bother me, the more I tend to lose my cool and misdirect my anger. This is when I usually say things I regret later, or may go overboard in reacting to a small infraction the kids may commit.
Proverbs 29:22 states, "An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins" Oh, how true this is! My devotional this morning made the following statements, "We do a disservice to ourselves and others when we portray Christian life as peaceful and happy all the time. Instead, the Bible portrays the believer's life as consisting of seasons of ups and downs."
Life happens and it's not always good and fair. But we must remember to invite God's Spirit in on the front end to deal appropriately with life events. Rather than seeking, so often, God's Spirit after the fact for forgiveness.