A lesson in love
I'm beginning to think that I take things a little too personal...and well, Dusty reminds me here and there to give me a little reality check. We sure would be much happier people if we didn't gripe and complain about things we can't control or if we wouldn't get our feelings hurt over silly little things...which I often do! I mean, it feels good to vent every once in awhile, but what is really the point? It doesn't accomplish anything - we cannot change the situation and we probably end up saying things out of frustration that we don't really mean. I've realized that most of the time when I get offended at something someone says or does, the person probably never intended to do so and/or never realized that they "hurt my feelings" in the first place. Get over it! I'm sure I've said or done things many times that could have been taken the wrong way. It would kill me to think I unintentionally offended someone else (ha, not that I want to intentionally do so either). So when you look at the situation in reverse, I realize that we have to give people grace...because I know I sure hope someone would do the same for me.
The more I observe people, the funnier I think people are. And when I say other people, I really mean me. Why is it that it's easier to see our own flaws in other people? I'm saying "we", but I don't know if this is a problem for anyone else. I will notice qualities in a person that I find unattractive and most of the time the reason it repels me is because I, myself, have that same quality. I guess its good that I can recognize that I possess that same flaw and understand its not okay and desire to change. But, why do I have to recognize it in someone else first? That seems judgmental to me. Dusty always says that people are "entrees". What he means is everyone has positive and negative qualities. But we cannot choose to love the good parts and hate the bad parts. The bad parts are probably sin...and we can dislike the sin, but we shouldn't define the person as the sin. We have to love the whole person...the whole entree. I don't want someone to praise me when I do something well and speak poorly about me behind my back when I fail. We need to be more gracious with one another. As much as I am aware of this, I know I often struggle to do this...especially when someone disappoints me. Which gets back to what I was saying earlier about taking things too personally. So the whole point of this rant is this... be gracious. Don't place such high expectations on people, because I guarantee we will most likely be disappointed. Besides, we probably don't live up to those same expectations that we place on others in the first place! Instead, put your hope and trust in the only One that will never fail us, God! Love those that God has surrounded you with like He has called you do....
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 4-8
So, what I would like to do is learn from what I'm saying. So if anyone happens to be reading this and you find me doing any of the above things, keep me in check. Seriously, I struggle with this way too often and don't like this about myself. So help me be better!
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