Sticky Situations

I'm typing so slowly today, I may never get this done! Why, you ask? Well, Steve has been sick the last couple of days, so I made him some homemade chicken noodle soup, with homemade noodles, of course. Well, I was peeling a carrot and sliced right through my index fingernail and part of my finger! The stupid thing is, I was using a bright orange monkey vegetable peeler....one of those whimsical kitchen gadgets we have. I was sliced by a bright orange laughing monkey!! Ouch! Now the end of my finger is very tender! I'm not a big baby though, so I'll survive! Steve is much better and back to work!

Anyway....on to today's subject.....do you ever feel pretty certain about something, and then get put to the test? Do you find it's easier to be in a room full of like-minded people than to be around people of all different perspectives? Well, those are a couple of tests I face regularly, as I'm sure you do too.

Example: Someone is relaying a story to you, and the whole time they're talking, your mind is saying, "you are so wrong about that!!" or "you shouldn't have said THAT!" or... "that was just mean!!" Now, this person isn't your best friend, your mother, or confidante. This is someone you don't have a tight relationship with, so you have to keep your mouth shut to a degree. Here comes the test.....will you do anything about it or is it none of your business? Hmm... stew on that one.

Example: You're in a room full of people who are not Christ followers. You want to talk about something of eternal value, but find you are on your own in your perspective. I don't want to use examples of specific situations, but you have most likely been in these situations. Sorry to say, I've been in a room of Christ followers who have done example #1 as well. Just keeping things fair. Have you ever offered to pray at a dinner where various family is gathered and you know it will make them uncomfortable? Oh, I hate the feeling of knowing I have to do this, and some have started to eat and think they've just committed a crime. I am so careful about saying, "I know we've started eating and isn't it delicious? I'd like to do a blessing, if I could." I find that it puts the room at ease to acknowledge that it's okay if you've started already!!

It is hard to be a Christian when some significant people around you are clearly not there yet. I struggle with this, because I know people who believe, but don't follow just yet, and I get a lot of silence on the other end of the conversation. I'm not even preaching at them, believe me! They don't understand how important my faith is to me, so it falls flat. Worse yet, they don't know how important God is. You can't push the point or you'll lose them! It's a sssslllloooowwww planting process!

So, back to example #1. Have you been caught up in gossip? What do you do? I feel a need to press my hands over my ears and go "lalalalalalalal I can't hear you!" Well, that probably wouldn't go over well at all. So instead, I follow the advice of Judy, a wise family friend in her 90's....when disagreeing with someone or wanting to stop a conversation, she'd say simply, "Is that so?" Then she'd get silent. Kind of hard to keep the energy of gossip going when the other person shuts you down!! It makes them think about the question. IS that so? It works too! I do feel though if someone is trashing another person to you and you know that person, it's okay to deflect it with a positive comment. I've said before, "That doesn't sound like the _____I know at all" and leave it at that. I've also changed the subject!

People. We are a hard bunch to deal with at times. We want to expect so much of each other, and nothing of ourselves. We want others to change, but don't want to change in ourselves. We want to point fingers and blame others before asking what we did to contribute to the situation. We are quick to tear down, and slow to build up. Quite contrary to what the Word of God instructs, and yet most don't care to read it or know God at all.

What conclusion have I drawn? That we need to remember that while people and relationships are important, they are no replacement for your relationship with your Creator. Be careful not to look to others for your approval or use them as punching bags. Be sensitive to personalities that you don't understand or agree with and be wise not to judge them! Remember to be kind. It's simple. Say please, THANK YOU, and I'm sorry. Gently lead others when you can, and when you can't, let it go and pray about it. Just because you think you know the answer doesn't mean it's yours to give. Wait for God to give you the green light before you open your big trap!

There will be plenty of sticky situations to come, and the one thing we need to cover it all is God's grace. Ask him for it daily and he will give it to you! He will help you handle gossips or trash-talkers. He will help you to be a light in the dark! He will help you lead lost ones in his way, not yours. He will still your heart when it's jumping to do your own thing and remind you to do his thing instead! He will silence you when your tongue is tempted to join in where it shouldn't. He will guard you against evil and tell you when you're needed and when you need to back off!

One last point....Jesus hung out with a lot of shady characters when he walked the earth. If he had just hung out with like-minded people, what good would that have served his purpose of saving God's people? We are to be the same example. Be careful not to let others' sin entangle you, yes, but if you keep your distance because someone doesn't think like you, then what are you here for?

Hmmm.....stew on that awhile.