I've discovered a new mantra for relationships:
I love you! I just don't understand...
Sometimes the people I care about are too busy to pay attention to me. Sometimes they make the same mistakes over and over and over. Sometimes they address situations in completely different ways than I would. However, this doesn't excuse me from forgiveness, tolerance, or charity.
The thing is, it also doesn't excuse me from being human and finding other people difficult to comprehend. I can choose how I respond to difficulties though, and when I'm fighting with someone, it's okay to call a time-out and give them a hug.
Because it's not about changing them. It's about understanding them a little better, and about me making changes in order to become more Christlike. Maybe that's becoming more temperate, more confident, or a better listener.
That's why these people are in our lives, guys. Their presence is an invitation to charity -- to not just understand them better, but to understand the Lord better. We can always find strength and solace in Him, even if we aren't getting it from the sources we expect.
Other people may not always be reliable, but in Christ, we can become reliably like Him.
I've been having very similar thoughts recently! Mostly along the lines that you get to know someone's true regard for you when you disagree on something--be it religion, faith, politics, or taste in restaurant.
ReplyDeleteFair weather friends can be delightful, but friends who support YOU, and not just your matching ideals, are divine.