A Lesson Learned

Today the Lord taught me an important lesson. The lesson of listening. And the lesson of loving, even when one has been injured by another. I wish I could give specifics, but that would reveal much more than I would intend.

Suffice it to say, that someone had been unkind to me. And I was angry at them for the unkindnesses. I went to talk to them about it, to confront them, to exact of them what was rightfully mine. It would feel good to show them that they were in the wrong, I thought. I had a list of all the charges against them in my head, ready to spring them out. But yet I still prayed that God would help me say and do the right thing. I'm not sure that I realized how against God I was going by being angry. But I felt justified.

I walked in, and it was almost as if....I was a little speechless.

"Hey...how are things going?" I managed to get out.

The person's usual response followed:

"Oh life is drama, and stress...you know."

I didn't know what else to say...the anger was still simmering...but not boiling over like it had before.

"Umm...someone said that you had ___ for me?" I said, trying not to..well, who knows what I was trying to do.

My purpose was to come and get what was owed. I could stick to that purpose.

"Oh. Yeah. Let me see if I have it."

As I waited I felt the anger slip away. I cared more for this person than for what she owed me. All of the sudden, it didn't seem as important as making sure that she knew how much I cared about her. And I was disappointed in myself for having lost sight of that.

"Here you go."

"Thanks" was all I managed to say.

A silence followed as she went back to her work.

"Umm...how are things really going? You're moving back to ____ right?"

"Yeah. It's so much drama right now. You would not believe how much drama."

And she sounded so disheartened. It was heartbreaking to me. Whatever resentment I had had...was gone. I had forgotten to see her as a beloved child of a Heavenly Parent, Someone who loved her more than I could. I had let that escape me as I had traveled with anger to speak to her. It doesn't matter what she had done, I was more in the wrong for neglecting one of the greatest commandments: Love thy neighbor as thyself.

"That's the toughest, isn't it? Life is okay to handle, but drama...drama you can't control. I've always been impressed with your ability to handle life. Drama is hard...but I'm sure you can make it."

"Do you need any help?" I offered, seeing her struggling with the task at hand.

"Oh, really? I'm going to load these things in about 5 minutes. That would be great."

As I helped, I repented quite profusely. A sweet spirit overcame me as I let the beautiful truths sink into my soul. She is my sister. And I am serving her because I love her.

She thanked me so sincerely, I was unsure what to say. I've never seen her be that sincere before. And she meant every thank you. I left her, knowing that she would never have a cause to say that I had been unkind to her. That means a lot to me.

And I was grateful to the Lord for helping me to curb the natural woman within me, to nip my anger in the bud, and to remember the most important truth, that He had had my mother teach me so long ago:

People are more important than things.