Don't Get Your "Panties in a Bunch"...Wear Bloomers!

"Great peace have they who love Your law; nothing shall offend them or make them stumble" [Psalm 119:165]

Usually when you refer to someone who's gotten their "panties in a bunch", you are referring to a person who has overreacted to something that should be considered trivial or has made a big fuss out of a relatively minor problem. 

Well...just the other morning, I got my "panties in a bunch" and became quickly offended over the most ridiculous situation.  Since for me, cooking is somewhat like my way of ministering to my family and others, I usually take the planning process of it seriously and have mapped out my course of action way before each meal is served.  On this particular morning, I had awakened very early and started my breakfast plan by setting out all the ingredients and cooking utensils I'd need, and had even popped the breakfast meat into the oven to cook, while I showered.  After showering, I continued to keep up with my plans by removing the sausages from the oven and proceeded from there to walk the dog.  In my mind (the way I had it planned), I'd walk Daisy and return to the house to cook a delightful breakfast before the children or adults awakened.  However, when I returned back to the house, much to my surprise, all of the children were awake and one of the adults had left the house to buy biscuits, etc...for the breakfast meal.  Instantly, I began to get upset and could feel my panties creeping up into a bundle. And to add to the offense I was feeling, some of the children had had the nerve to be ruining their appetites with bowls of cereal. 

Hadn't anyone seen the sausages I'd just cooked?  Couldn't they see that I had placed everything I had needed to make PANCAKES (not biscuits) on the counter? 

Why did everyone seem to be ransacking my breakfast plan?  Biscuits??? 

I must have shown my offense and confusion all over my face, because my oldest daughter commented to me, "Mommy, don't get mad.  It's just breakfast.  It's OK."  But for some silly reason, I felt like my world had just been rocked and was having difficulty relaxing and grasping the ridiculousness of my offended feeling.

Thankfully, with a little bit of time, I did come to my senses and realize that I was getting all worked up and offended for absolutely no good, trivial reason.  And after having just written and posted the blog about being grateful, I realized that I needed to take that moment to be grateful that I'd been given the morning off.  I needed to be grateful that someone else had cared enough to step in and take on the responsibility that I usually carried each day.  Once I'd had those quiet moments alone to reflect and realize how ridiculously I'd reacted, I apologized to my friend for my "panties being in a bunch" for such a trivial reason, put on some spiritual "bloomers" to loosen up, and then praised and thanked God that I "got to" rest from cooking and was able to spend that time on other important tasks. Whew!  The things we get easily offended and bent out of shape about!

What trivial issues, situations, or types of comments get your "panties in a bunch"? 

Are you like me, and kids spilling drinks makes you what to go crazy?  How about finding the toilet seat being left up when you come in to use the bathroom?  What issues are you just plain, old obsessive and "nit picky" about, that are really trivial when we consider the bigger picture in life? 

Whatever it is that causes our panties to bunch and bundle, it is HIGH time for us to inwardly reflect, take notice, and then loosen up...bloomers are baggy and allows for our patience & gentleness, to breathe and exist!

According to the Bible, "Great peace have they who love Your law; nothing shall offend them or make them stumble" [Psalm 119:165].  In other words, if we love and obey God's laws for us which include us clothing ourselves with "a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" [Colossians 3:12], we will not allow ourselves to become easily offended, irritated or annoyed over trivial, little, non-monumental issues/circumstances in life.  Further, we will not allow ourselves to "stumble" and sin in our anger or annoyance, because we love His principles and desire to walk in His ways.  Truly some incidents and issues in this life are not worth the drama we create.  We must learn to loosen up, "not be easily angered" [1Corin. 13: 5], "let (our) gentleness be evident to all" [Philippians 4:5], and "be tolerant of one another and forgive each other if anyone has a complaint against another" [Colossians 3:13]

As one of my "besties" puts in, "Life's too short"; and although I am preaching to myself, somethings in life are really not all that serious or worth all the stress and energy we put behind it.  We must really pick our battles; and our warfare would be better off aimed at the real enemy threatening the promise God has for us.

Rock Those Bloomers, Y'all!

"...make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;  and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;  and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." [2 Peter 1:5-8]

Mad Luv~Teri

P.S.- Special thanks and shout out to Kimmy for giving me a reason to get "my panties in a bunch".  Thanks for being a great friend and forgiving your crazy friend (ME!).