Under Pressure

I've had a one cup coffee maker for a couple of years now - you know the kind that you slip the little coffee pod into, push the button and... presto coffee. The other day I was making myself a cup of coffee and while I was preparing all the extras that I put into my coffee. (I don't drink coffee unless it has so much creamer, sugar, syrup, etc. that my spoon will stand straight up in it) Anyway, while I was getting everything ready the coffee maker started to make a strange noise, it got louder, and louder, and I thought "that doesn't sound right"; I looked over and steam was pouring out the sides - the sound grew to a fever pitch and that is when the side blew out of my coffee maker. I heard plastic parts hit different parts of the kitchen but I still haven't found all the pieces yet. My poor little coffee maker just couldn't take the pressure any longer.

I was thinking about my little incident with my time bomb coffee maker and how pressure and anger can build in our lives. Anger and pressure are bound to occur in our lives, it is part of being human. The Bible has made it clear that anger is not sin; "In your anger do not sin" Eph. 4:26. There is a proper and an improper way to deal with anger and stress in our lives. If we continually hold our anger or stress inside without any release the results can be devastating to ourselves and to those around us.

Personally, to prevent 'blow ups' I do my best not to let the pressure build. If I have a problem with someone, I go to them and talk with them. To guard against the pressure and strain of my job, I make sure to take my days off. And when life gets to be a bit too much, I have a network of friends, family, and a loving God that I can "vent" to. When you find yourself under pressure ge sure to find healthy ways of decompressing.