I had the chance yesterday to control my temper. I didn't. And I stirred up trouble for several people. I later realized my mistake, talked to all involved, and everything is smoothed out. It would have been so much better, and easier in the long run, if I had just counted to 100 before dealing with the latest situation dumped on me. It was easy to handle, once I quit whining about being the person to handle it. Anyway, I have a lot of work to do in this soft answer department. I scolded/encouraged (I think both of those things can happen at the same time) myself with reading 1Cor :13. It helped. These words stood out to me.
"Charity suffereth long, and is KIND; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, IS NOT EASILY PROVOKED, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."
Not being easily provoked, bearing all things, being kind......exactly the traits involved in using soft answers to turn away wrath. Today is a new day, and perhaps I will do better with these additional verses in my head.
Given that you are one of the more charitable people that I know in your caring for and helping others, I'm certain that you will do a better job of fitting the commands of this verse than many of the rest of us will. I commend your focus on it.
ReplyDeleteAnd...I would also say that, yes, you have been dumped on a whole lot recently. I feel for you. :(
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Ready for a new blog post, AMay.
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Must sleep first!
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