Preparation H
"Murphy's Law", "Preachin' to tha Choir", "when you point at someone's faults there are three fingers pointing back at you". All these sayings were made up from someone's experience. I can relate to all of 'em!
This morning I was hit with my need for Preparation H.
Instead of carrying the craziness that I was allowing to fill my head, I decided to let it all out. I started talking out my feelings about some stuff, aloud. I hear myself better that way...boy do I sound dumb. The list of things that were bothering me seemed silly once I admitted them to myself. As I realized how irrational I was being I asked God to prepare my heart. I needed "Preparation H" stat! Preparation of my heart.
Oh boy, humble pie without a la mode. No sugar coating for me.
The past few days I've had my fill of that pie. Have you had those types of days? Days where you catch yourself face to face with the reality of your actions? It's hard to be humbled.
In the first serving of my humble pie, I only had a slice and quickly turned my thoughts around to what I knew was right. There wasn't a person in the room with me that was perfect, but we were all in the perfect place at the same time.
Every one of us has stories that we may or may not be proud of-that's life; experiences, mistakes, accomplishments or whatever, just because I "think" I know someone's story doesn't give me the right to make speculation about how they live their life and whether or not they should be a part of anything or not. Including, and especially-Church. That's being judgmental and hypocritical. St. Matthew 7: 1-5 "Judge not, that ye be not judged...(vs 5) Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."
My second helping of Humble Pie dealt with the fact that I didn't want to admit that I was being selfish. I can't expect someone to know how I feel if I don't tell them. When I think I'm being disrespected it doesn't mean that it's so. Not everyone thinks the same way I do and if I put myself in their place I can shine light on my own failures.
Not only were my feelings stealing my joy, they were not allowing me to show God's grace.
It is so freeing to let go of the things that drag us down: bitterness, envy, jealously, anger. People can change if they want to, but if they don't choose to, let God deal with them. In the mean time, just treat them as you would want to be treated if you were having a hard time: patience, kindness, generosity, LOVE and especially prayer. We can always ask for them to have a heart change. God can prepare their heart just like He can ours.
When you find yourself having difficulty showing grace to someone, If possible, just stay away from them, but pray for them. Don't allow Satan to accomplish his goal of hardening your heart and staling your grace toward those who need to receive it.
Proverbs 16=A heaping helping of Preparation H!
