One of the things I love about working from home is that I can sleep in until I'm ready to get up. Some mornings, that's 7:00 while other mornings, it's more like 9:30. I need my sleep, and I'm not happy when I don't get enough (just ask Jason).

This morning was not a 7:00 morning – at least, I wasn't ready to get up at 7:00. The construction crew outside our house had another idea. They were kind enough to get an early start on drilling holes in the road just outside our house. Do you have any idea how loud that is? Not only that, it shook the entire house. I was not pleased!

Now, however, as I sit in the stillness of the morning, I'm glad I got an early start to my day. The sky is overcast, leaving the temperature very comfortable. There's a slight breeze blowing across the water of the lake. The mist is just beginning to clear from the mountains high above me. The birds are singing, and thanks to the cooler temperatures, the bugs are much less pesky this morning. All in all, it's quite peaceful out here. If I had slept in like I had wanted to, I would have missed all this. I would have come out later in the day when it would no doubt be hot and miserable. The bugs would be eating at me, and I would have never felt the serenity I feel right now.

Many times in life, things happen that frustrate us. Whether they be big or small, frustrations come frequently. The funny thing is, though, that sometimes those frustrations lead us to better things, just as my being awakened early today led to my being able to enjoy the peaceful time. I work so much better when I'm at peace. My thoughts flow, and I seem to be able to keep my focus much more easily. I'm more productive when I follow God's urgings, even if He has to use a construction crew to get my attention!

When faced with a frustration today, don't get mad. Instead, allow God to use that frustration to lead you to a better place. I'm not saying it always works that way, but I do know that all things work together for good in the end. You never know where you might end up.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28