Things That Bug Me
It’s a big reason for my writings.
Things bug me, and what I think sits near top of the Things-That-Bug-Me list is I’m not sure if the things bugging me should or shouldn’t — you know — bug me.
On the one hand, when I focus on things that bug me, they grow in my mind, which then supports my conviction they are both real and truly annoying.
On the other hand, if I refocus away from the irritants and look more at other things, like my blessings, at least the sharpest barbs lodged under my skin seem to dislodge without much fuss.
I don’t want to escape the pain of life entirely, because when I try to do this, whether by seeking escape through entertainment or some vice, I find my connections to the good things in my life start losing their loving grip on my sanity.
Perhaps you have thought you were my primary audience. The truth of the matter is I write to maintain sanity in the middle of a crazy world that seems hellbent on spinning out of control.
I will say this, after writing notes to myself for a long time now, the exercise does help me see my worries from a healthier distance and with less emotional activation, which then enables me to process my thoughts in a more helpful (to everyone) way.
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.
Luke 1:1-4 (ESV)
