New Perspective

I was browsing (dangerous) in a Christian bookstore yesterday. Don't even know what I was really looking for until God showed me the book entitled, "Living Successfully with Screwed-Up People"! I was shocked at the title. In a Christian bookstore? Go figure. Anyway since I've been looking for some more perspective on relationships I decided to give it a look. I'm currently halfway through the book and think Brown has some very valuable points.
On page 13 I read "Friends & family can be pains-in the heart." Ouch! I've felt lots of pains in the heart over the years. Problem is I hardly ever know what in the world to do about them. I deeply want to do the right thing. I've always thought I was a peacemaker. Always want everyone to get along. I love to encourage & lift others up as much as possible. When faced with relationship foibles I pray, ask God to help, talk the ears off of my incredible husband, but it's so hard to know what kind of action to take. Positive action. Action that will change the situation & mend the "pain" in the heart. I think I typically end up taking some kind of action that later still puts me back in the swamp. I'd like to get out of the swamp & stay out. But is that really possible?
This Christian life was never meant to be perfect. One of my all time favorite verses I claimed in college is from 1 Peter 1:6, "In this greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith---of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire---may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed..." I wonder what is meant by "for a little while"? I believe my little while will happen every day of my life! That's okay though, because as I (with God's help), work through every "trial" my faith & love for him are sharpened & strengthened! Doesn't get any better than that!
I think Brown's book is one that can give me some new perspective to get me out of the swamp that I so often jump into. Whether I can stay out remains to be seen. Brown says the "swamp bottom is often the beginning of renewal". Can it be that I'm at the bottom?