Yesterday I got a notification that I had a hair appointment at 12:45 at a hair salon about 30 minutes away. I could not recall making the appointment, so we called to confirm and learned that I indeed did. I drove there and noticed the worker that checked me in was stressed out… They had accidentally scheduled another girl named Madison under my name… and there was only time for one haircut. Both me and the other Madison stood there while the worker got more anxious.

I was pretty annoyed that I drove all the way there for nothing, but I told the other Madison to take it, and then I walked out the door. I looked for other places around the area that could cut my hair… and all of them were either full or closed. The last place I tried said they had time to do both a cut and color… exactly what I was looking for.

Although this is such a small example, it’s a good demonstration of little annoyances that happen in our lives. Was I pretty annoyed about wasting my gas and time to drive there, only to be rejected? Yes. Was I annoyed that the salon had screwed up? Yes. But after reflecting on that tiny, little circumstance, it reminded me of these five things:

1. Rejection is redirection. When one door closes, another one will open.

I just recently came to understand how many times Abraham Lincoln actually failed in his lifetime. Goodness gracious, that man was a failing machine! And now he’s one of the most memorable men to ever exist. Same thing goes for many people in the Bible… Moses, Peter, Job, Joseph… God closed a lot of doors so that others could be opened. And now He’s doing the same for you.

Jeremiah 29:11 “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

2. The enemy wouldn’t be busy if God wasn’t blessing.

When the devil knows you are choosing Christ and being blessed by Him, he wants to ruin that. He wants to strip you of the joy that comes from knowing God. So you know what he does? He goes to work and gets busy. He tries to entangle you, he tries to trip you up, he uses lies and insults and judgements against you. So understand that while although life can be annoying and the devil is busy, life is also an absolute blessing, and God is always working.

John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

3. God hears ya. He sees ya. He knows what’s going on. He’s got your back.

God knows you’re annoyed. He’s listening to every word. He’s seeing every little thing unfold. So guess what? He’s got you. He’s right there.

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” Believe that.

4. This life happening is shaping and molding you. You’re being made better.

Even in the midst of confusion and sometimes pain, you have to be able to take a step back and thank Christ for the good in your life. You’ve got to understand that He isn’t placing things in your life to see you fail. He’s placing things in your life to get you where you need to be.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

5. Everyone makes mistakes… Think about a time you needed forgiveness, and now give that forgiveness to someone in your life in need of it today.

That girl that messed up the appointments didn’t mean to create a problem and annoy me. She just made a simple mistake. We’ve got to give one another a break and understand that sometimes we just screw up. I could’ve made her day a lot worse by complaining or writing a bad review, but sometimes you have to take a step back and realize that forgiveness is all that’s needed.

Colossians 3:13 “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

When life gets annoying, refer back to these five things and remember that God is working for the good of all those who love Him. Because even in the midst of annoyances, life is still pretty beautiful, and He is a good, good Father.