Why Do I Let Things Bother Me?

Don't you hate it when you just let something eat at you?  A mistake, a friend not answering texts, your weight, the laundry .... Why can't I just let things go and relax?

I had a conversation the other day with a young woman, and I said, being mad at "her" only eats you up, it doesn't do any good.  Her response was, "but she knows I'm mad at her, so it eats her up too."  Wow!  That isn't anger, that is destruction.

I've been mad at someone and hoped they knew I was mad at them and "boycotting" them in a way, but I wasn't sure, so I was doubly angry and also had a constant nag, what if they didn't know.

When you get down to the heart of the matter, its all about forgiveness.  If you made a mistake, forgive yourself.  If your friend is ignoring your texts, forgive her, and realize she doesn't have the resources to be mature like you do.  If your weight is eating you up, forgive yourself, go on, make a change even if you stand up and walk around the house one time, you've done something new. The laundry will be there when you get to it.  Forgive yourself, make sure the family has clean chonies and move on.

I'm being tested a little, my flesh wants to be angry at the person avoiding my texts, because after all I have done for her ... well, that's conditional love, and I am above that.  If I am angry at someone, I do my best to "pray honey" all over them.  In other words, instead of letting it eat me, or feel sorry for myself, or feel sorry for them, I pray sweetness, and goodness, and gold all over them.  At first it is fun to imagine a bucket of sticky, gooey honey dropped on their heads, then when you realize, its just not worth it, praying your way out of it is the best option.

Unconditional love is giving of yourself whether you are happy about it or not.   I like to live my life with unconditional love.   If I make a mistake, I pray that those around me, those who truly know my heart, will know it was not malicious, but just a mistake.  If I truly give my unconditional love, I will overlook your immature issues, and love you anyway.

Wisdom is the next step.  If I am walking in unconditional love and overlooking your immature issues, then I also use wisdom to not get involved in your immature issues.   If you are being mad at me so I will know it, and it will hurt my feelings, well, good for you and your high school feelings.   I have to grow up and say, I offer you my unconditional love, but I do not offer you my sanity, so I will use wisdom to step away.  I forgive you for not being emotionally where I need you to be, and I just step back and move on.

Forgiveness, Unconditional Love, and Wisdom, hmmm ... sounds like God.  Jesus is our forgiveness.  Father God is our Unconditional Love, and the Holy Spirit is our Wisdom.  If you have those three in your pocket, always pulling them out and using them first instead of letting your flesh feelings run wild, you can't lose.

K