ok, so I have struggled with this post for the past few days, thinking it over and over in my head, saying the same things different ways, trying to think of the best way to protect the innocent, but you know, I just have to put it out there and pray that the message hits home.
You know how there are just “those” people that you just don’t want to deal with, the family member that does nothing but whine, the friend that means well, but goes on and on about poor pitiful me? I got to thinking about these people the other day and realized something, I whine about having to listen to it, and about having to “put up” with things and how someting some people do makes absolutely no sense to me. And I started thinking real hard, not something I do real often, and it took being an outsider listening to someone else, and my first response to that person was, well did you pray for that person? And the response was well, I just don’t want to deal with that at all, and then my question came out again, Well, maybe that just means you should pray even more… you see it is easy for us to pray for those we love and cherish, easy for us to pray for those close to us, or for mass groups of unnamed persons that are suffering, but what about that one person you just can’t see eye to eye with, did you say a prayer for them? I have a few situations at work that I am guilty of that, and am now making a conscious effort to remedy, and realizing, I was not meant to know all sides of every story, there is no way I could wrap my brain around it, and thanks to God and what he has given us, I don’t have to. See it is a very simple principle, just pray. If you can learn to pray about it, and I am not talking about a long drawn out thing, I know that when I pray it tends to sound more like a one sided conversation with a friend than a pomp and circumstance kind of thing. For instance, an employee at work was let go, and even though I didn’t always get along with that person, I had to stop and think, it doesn’t matter if I liked him or not, or if he liked me or not, he was a fellow person, going through a struggle, so I said a quick prayer that God light his path and lead him to where he needed to be. Short simple to the point, and hopefully heard. You see it is easy to say God Bless my children, you love them and want good things to happen to and for them, but what about to that guy that cut you off driving to work, did you pray that he made it to his destination safely? Did you thank God that you were at that spot 5 seconds earlier where it could have been disastrous? I spend a lot of time in my car and am now addicted to K-Love, I used to be one of those people that flipped stations after each song, and now I can’t bring myself to do it. And listening to the songs and stories, I now can’t seem to tear myself away. I actually feel a presence with me when I throw caution to the wind and start singing along. (For those that know me, I have to make sure I am in the car alone as not to damage anyone’s hearing.. I have been blessed, but not with a singing voice, he said a joyful noise, not an in tune noise) With this new development, I also find myself noticing little things around me as I drive, I said a prayer for the mother on the cell phone the other day, that she make it safely, said a prayer that the big rig saw me driving beside him, I find myself saying all sorts of prayers. So I charge you as you go forward from here to think about it the next time you have to listen to someone, or someone just seems to irritate you, remember, you don’t know the full story, you weren’t meant to and aren’t responsible for finding out, you are only responsible for your reaction, whether you whine about having to listen to it or you say a prayer that God help that person find the contentment and happiness we all strive for.
As one of my new favorite sayings from a book series I have been reading, “Blessed be”
The Eanes Family 