Facing the Reality of Myself

"Love difficult people. You are one of them". ~ Bob Goff

Some days I find I have much less grace than others. Take today for example. People are gearing up for Easter and Spring break and stores are bound to be packed to the gills with bargain hunters looking for winter breaks and early deals on spring clothing. It seems like the holidays never really ended with Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, President's Day,and a few made up holidays thrown in; stores are continually packed like sardine tins. That explains why I’m not likely to venture too far from home for the next few months. Crowds overwhelm me and throw off my equilibrium badly. I prefer the harmony of solitude. There’s less chance for being misunderstood when you keep to yourself, and you’re not likely to hurt your own feelings, right? However, solitude can be lonely. We were made for fellowship and need other people, whether we realize it or not. The God Who created the universe and everything in it created us for the express purpose of fellowship. He loved the animals and was pleased with all of nature that He’d created, but He wanted to spend time and have a relationship with something created in His own image. That is why He made us; to communicate with Him, to be in a close relationship with Him; to become one with Him. We have a tendency to think that we are all that and a bag of Tostito chips. When our values are challenged or when we are asked to defend our beliefs; we fumble and stutter. We have to do better. Having close friends who you love will cost you. It takes time, energy, peace, sleep, and so much more. There will be times when each of you will drain the other completely and you’ll question if you have anything left to give. You’ll wonder if the relationship is costing more that it can ever pay back. You will pour yourself out for people who may never say “Thank you” and you’ll feel used, taken for granted and hurt. Do. It. Anyway. At some point in our lives we have all been needy and probably quite difficult. Think back and be honest. It may have even been this morning. What did you need in that situation? What would have been most beneficial to you and gotten you out of your funk a bit sooner? Be big enough to offer that to the next sour person you run across. It could make all the difference in the world to them and in turn, they may offer kindness to someone who will offer it to someone else and so on. If each of us would sow kindness and understanding instead of exasperation and criticism, we could change the world. Let’s do it!