I've been thinking about how easily I allow trivial statements to jump under my skin. It seriously amazes me how a meaningless remark can alter my emotions. (Can anyone relate?)
Face it, we all have at least one person in our lives who holds this sort of power over us. [A parent, a sibling, a child, a friend, a complete stranger.] You know who it is for you. Maybe a name or a face came to mind. Maybe you can hear that person’s voice. Maybe you have an anecdote that emerged as you read these words.
It’s easy to say, well just don’t let it get to you.
Just brush it off.
Just ignore them.
Don’t interact with them in that way anymore.
Put up boundaries.
Just pray for them.
Or pray for your own patience.
Or pray for [insert solution here].
What if there isn’t a practical solution, though? What if you can’t just cut this person off? What if you don’t want to pray for a tweaked life? Maybe it’s best to live in this tension of relationship. Maybe you need to recognize that this irritation is a constant indicator of your brokenness, of your selfishness.
Maybe this person is actually a gift to you— a reminder that you need to love even when it’s not the natural reaction. That you need to love especially when it’s not the easiest response.
I guess I’m just processing. These days, I’m satisfied regardless of whether I come to a conclusion or not. So I’m just going to leave this here.
(I’d love to hear your thoughts of how you manage these sorts of emotions if you’ve figured out how. Leave a comment. Message me. I’d love to know if you relate.)