Love Is A Choice
THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2008 On a beautiful Saturday afternoon a few weeks ago, a good friend of mine came over to help me do some home improvements. Painting that is. (I love to paint because color brings so much life to something that is otherwise so dull!) Our kids were playing inside, but it was so nice outside that they wanted to go play basketball. So out in the front yard they went. Things were fine for awhile. That is until the kids came running in saying that two teenage girls across the street were calling them names and swearing at them- and apparently throwing rocks at them. I wasn’t happy about the situation, but didn’t feel the need to confront them about it. Until the very next day when the kids and I were outside and I heard the same two girls making rude comments to my kids again. Megan, my daughter, was getting more angry by the minute. I could tell she was on the verge of screaming something back at them. But being the mature woman that I am, (HA!) I told Megan to ignore them. “They’re just trying to get you riled up”, I said. “It would make them happy if they knew they were making you angry! Don’t let them get to you!” I’m proud to say that Megan, though she was not happy about it, turned away and ignored them. That is until her not-so-mature mother heard the girls making comments still and reached her boiling point. “GROW UP!”, I yelled. After the words were out of my mouth I felt horrible! Great way that I had of showing my kids how to handle a bad situation! I told the kids that I shouldn’t have said that, but unfortunately I had blown it! Tonight I had the front door open because it was a beautiful day again. Across the street came the sounds of one of the same girls being rude to the little kids that lived next door to her. Josh wanted to go outside and play basketball, but I told him no because I didn’t want the girl to be rude to him too. I could feel myself getting angry because I want my kids to be able to go outside and play without having to be hassled. With all of my being I wanted to go over to that girl and give her a piece of my mind! But then came the swift kick in the pride…. I heard God asking me who I am a representative of while I am on this earth! Ouch! Matthew 5:43-46 says, “‘You have heard that it was said, "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?….“ Needless to say, I obviously should have handled things much differently than I did!! I wasn’t a good example of God’s love to my children or to those two girls. Those two girls were created by God just the same way that I was. As precious as Megan and Josh are to me, that is how God sees THEM!!!! I can honestly say that next time this happens (because I’m pretty sure that there will be a next time) I don’t know exactly how I’ll handle it. Maybe I will just silently pray for them even while they are yelling curses at us. Or maybe God will give me the boldness to say back to them, ” Do you know how much Jesus loves you?“. All I know is that I want to let my failure make me stronger in my determination to become more Christ-like! Lord, I ask that the next time a situation like this arises, be it with these two girls or anyone else for that matter, please help me to keep my mouth closed until You give me words of love to speak to them! Help me not just love people that it’s easy to love! Teach me to love the way that you love us! And may my children and everyone I come in contact with see that the difference in me is Your love!!! AMEN!!! POSTED BY KRISTIN AT 9:20 PM
