Lord, Give Me the Strength. . .

When I taught Sunday School (don't laugh!), there was a young lady in my class that seemed to try everyone's patience, including my own.  Several of my students complained to me about her behavior and about not liking her.  (In retrospect, she may have had some undisclosed mental/behavioral issues.)

I acknowledged they had every right to feel the way the did.  But, I also presented them with a question:  What if she is a test of your faith?

I suggested  we all consider how we interact with her as a real-world situation where we got to put our beliefs into practical use.  As Christians, we are cautioned to exercise patience, act humbly and compassionately, and to behave lovingly toward one another.  So, I understood how their "feelings" were in direct conflict with their "faith".

Twenty years later, I find myself in a similar situation.  A colleague with whom I routinely interact is, consistently, overbearing, insensitive, and dismissive.  And, not just to me.  To compound matters, they seem completely self-unaware of how they're perceived.  Which raises another question in my mind,  How can any reasonably intelligent person be so unaware of how others perceive them?

Funny thing is, while these characteristics make dealing with them a challenge, I genuinely like this person.  When they're not being overbearing, insensitive, and dismissive, they're smart, enthusiastic, and industrious.  But, it's hard to get by the other stuff and see these admirable traits.  Honestly, I didn't even recognize them, at first, because I was so blinded by the "bad" stuff.

Nonetheless, recent events have made overlooking the other stuff quite challenging.  As difficult as it may be, I'm going to take my own advice -- hey, it was good advice then and still is, now. 

Furthermore, Proverbs 12:16 says, "A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.” Instead of being annoyed, I will pray for the Spirit’s power to change my own heart and mind  toward this person and give me the strenght to see them as needing the same love, grace and mercy that God has extended toward us. 

And also because my parents didn't raise no fool!