As I sit at my computer this morning, I am bothered by some situations in my life that involve people. Yes - people; not circumstances, not things, not events, but people.
I think the situations that deal with people are some of the most difficult. One of my biggest pet peeves is being misunderstood. I guess it's the teacher in me that wants all of the facts straight and out on the table for everyone to see! But I'm learning that, no matter how much explaining I may do- no matter how open and honest I am, there are some people who will be pre-disposed to misunderstanding me (!). There are some people that just will not like me, no matter how hard I try. There are some things that I just cannot control.
I am learning (again...) that, although people say they love you and accept you - unconditionally- what they really mean is, "As long as you are not too different from me; as long as your opinion is not ever the opposite of mine; as long as we don't disagree on the things that matter most to me, I'll accept you - unconditionally!"
It sounds kind of funny, but it's really true. Very few people can actually be friends with a person that is different than they are in some way. I know, I know - I should've learned this lesson in middle school...and high school...right? Perhaps. Than again, I'm not so sure I will ever trudge through a situation like this unscathed - unless I allow my heart to turn to stone, that is.
I'm reminded of a little acronym my dad uses all the time. He learned it years ago at a sales seminar: SW, SW, SW, SW. It means: "Some Will, Some Won't; So What- Somebody's Waiting." Of course it's easy to see how that would apply to sales, but it really applies to every area of our lives. If we become stuck in the negative things that happen, we will never realize the positive. Sure - some people may not like you! They may say ugly things about you, assassinate your character for no reason, work to turn people against you and plant seeds of doubt in other's minds regarding you, but who cares?! SW, SW, SW, SW! If we learn to walk away from the situations (and sometimes, the people) that tear us down, we'll be able to see that "somebody" who is waiting and ready to tackle the world with us. We must surround ourselves with a support group of people who will truly help us on our life journey, not drain us emotionally and spiritually and wear us down.
So, I guess I just wanted to encourage anyone this morning who may be dealing with a tough situation. The stress and the emotional drain is so not worth it! Don't let the negative steal from you!
So much Scripture comes to mind to apply here, but the one that sticks out to me is I Peter 5:7, "Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully." (Amplified)
I hope everyone has a great day!
