New Opportunity: Practicing What You Preach (Inquire Within)

Lately, I have made it a point to try to see people through God's eyes and treat them accordingly.  I hate to see people hurt, used or mistreated.  I've been there and I strive to not be on the "administering end" of hurt and mistreatment.

I feel so strongly about this, in fact, that I recently challenged a few people to pray for the ability to see people as God sees them and love them as God loves them and watch how much of a difference it makes in the way they relate to their family, friends, co-workers and random people they meet along the way.  And, just to drive my stake a little further into the ground, I changed my Facebook status to this: "Please be kind to someone today. They may need a random smile more than their next breath. It's not always about you."

And, I truly believed that but then ...

A stranger was rude to me as I was running into a department store for a small errand.  I was suddenly at odds with a family member over an issue that just would not seem to resolve itself like one of those spider bites that take exceptionally long to heal.  A co-workers unusual manner of expression struck a nerve.  And, suddenly, I found myself faced with having to practice what I've preached. 

Coincidence?  I think not.

So, what did I do?  Well, to be quite honest with you, I just gritted my teeth and challenged myself to be kind anyway.  I'm not perfect and it was not easy.  So, I prayed for God's strength because I couldn't do it alone and operating in my own strength was not getting the job done at all.

Something I have learned in being overly sensitive nearly all of my life is this; it is not always about me.  I was not the only person that was born with the capacity to feel.  Therefore, I'm not the only person on the face of this earth with the capacity to be hurt.  And because I know what it feels like to be hurt, I don't ever want to purposely bring emotional harm to anyone.

I make the choice to sow seeds of kindness.  I make the choice to be a loving human being.

The rude stranger, the difficult family member and the co-worker with a unique means of self-expression; all opportunities to practice what I've preached and cause the choice to be kind to evolve into a habit of being kind.

Believe me when I say that I'm not perfect and that there are days when I would like to say, "To hell with all this being nice to people!"  Still, being kind produces a far sweeter reward than not being kind.  In fact, the only "reward" for being unkind, that I know of, is a whole bunch of bitterness ... and who wants that?


Lord, please help me to exhibit kindness on a daily basis, even when I don't feel like it and would much rather rip someone's head off than flash a smile their way.  I'm not perfect but I don't have to be in order to walk in Your perfecting love and grace and I appreciate You for that.  Thanks for everything.
Love,
Me