Should we be thankful for what annoys us?

I was recently chatting with some friends over Skype, and as we ended our time together, we all agreed how buggy the connection had been. I am always quick to complain when the wi-fi runs slow or when the technology acts up. But after I logged off my computer, a thought entered my mind.

Just imagine if Paul the Apostle had the access to technology that we have today. Imagine how grateful he would be for Skype–slow buffering and all–if he could talk to the church in Ephesus, or to Peter in Jerusalem. What I saw as a pain he would see as a Godsend. Perspective certainly changes our attitude.

Because of that, I started to wonder about what else bugs me in life. Traffic, errands, jobs, you name it. How could I turn those annoyances into blessings? I wrote a list of every pet peeve I could imagine. Then, I rewrote every annoyance into a reason to be thankful. It was an amazing process. Some are hokey, others maybe stereotypical, but ultimately the list provided a great exercise in changing my perspective from self-centered to God-centered. So here it is, my list of thanks:

https://stephenangliss.org/2017/07/21/a-list-of-thankful-annoyances/