Loving the Unlovable Sandpaper People

Love. Something that I think we humans will never fully understand. Like God. (Whoever inspired the verse 1 John 4:8 ". . . God is Love" is a genius)

Indeed the more I learn about this mysterious topic of endless depth called "love," the more I see how inseparable it is from God. In fact, it was just this afternoon that I got a most convicting lesson on this through a very timely online devotion that my mom sent me. And by "timely" I mean that (I must confess) I was seriously on the brink of giving up on a friend of whom it came to the point (again) where it was just too hard and hurt too much to love. And to me, I thought I had good reason to walk away from it all. I mean, why should I keep associating with a person who keeps causing me hurt? (It's like you wouldn't leave your hand on a burning stove right?) And if they don't seem to care about maintaining the friendship, then what can I do? It would be like trying to feed a dead baby. I can't do this on my own- a friendship takes two.

And so I was preparing myself to end the friendship. I had had enough.

But then I read that online devotion. Here's the parts that seemed most similar to my situation:

The last thing I usually want to do is serve someone who is hard to get along with and rubs me the wrong way. In fact, the way I figure it, they should be the one serving me in order to make up for all of the grief they have caused. Sandpaper people are hard to serve . . . .

When we dare to serve a sandpaper person, it rocks their world. They are so accustomed to scratching and clawing their way to a false and shallow acceptance and find it almost impossible to believe that anyone would ever be willing to serve them in any way. That kind of chosen love is foreign to them but it certainly grabs their attention. It is after we have loved and served the sandpaper people in our lives that we begin to see them with different eyes.

'Devotion' indicates commitment and duty and carries the idea of a constant faithfulness that deliberately chooses repeatedly to serve. To 'honor' someone means to 'prefer' him or her or regard them as more important than ourselves. Most sandpaper people are used to people preferring that they disappear. I am convinced if we learned to look past the irritating antics of sandpaper people and simply love them or 'prefer' them, a transformation would begin.

In the book of Philippians, Paul explains that when we are serving others we are doing what Jesus did. Philippians 2:1-5 'Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and sympathetic? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one heart and purpose. Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too and what they are doing. Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had.' Paul is telling us that when we choose to love and serve others, especially those who are unlovable and difficult, we choose to have the same attitude that Jesus had. I believe the greatest hindrance to serving others is pride.

Then the devotion had a little prayer and a few last words at the end which was absolutely perfect for me:

Father, when I let pride take up residence in my heart, I can be so blind to the needs of others, especially those who are more difficult to love. I am so thankful that You did not feel that way toward me, one of the most difficult people of all to love. I praise You for the grace and love You have given me. Help me to be an instrument of that love and grace in the lives of those around me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

If I am not careful, I automatically gravitate to those who are easy to love and easy to serve. I have to remind myself that Jesus Christ came for broken people like me. I am not always easy to love . . . .

Holy cow. Soo..I could try to rationalize why I shouldn't have to love as Jesus loved: Why should I continue to be your friend when in fact I feel you've treated me like crap instead of a friend? Why should I talk to you when you just ignore me and seem that you could care less about our friendship? That's right, I shouldn't. You don't deserve it.

And yet, did we deserve anything Jesus did for us? Did we deserve any kindness from God? Why should Jesus have befriended unlovable people like us, and died in our place for us so that we might not have to face the just wrath of God?? I thought I was hurt? Jesus was hurt the most! I hurt him, I treated him like crap instead of a friend, I ignored him, I cared less about him every time I did what I wanted.

So what can I do but love others as Christ has loved me and trust God that His commandments are for the best.

Untamable

Ice cream. Scoop after scoop after scoop after...
Then, the cherry to top it all off.

...And topple it.

Damn cherry = "Well you didn't tell us, so it's your fault."

(My fault? You want to say that again?? Say it! Say it to my face dammit! I don't give a damn if you were kidding!)

That's all it takes. One cherry, one frickin stupid comment to make everything come crashing down. For some things, "kidding" doesn't mean crap. Neither do good intentions after a while.

Scoops of crap = "No! Why do I have to do it? You do it!"..."Huh, I'll do it later."..."What?! Aww I wanted to get food first."...CHAOS!!!...(any other scoops of crap I missed)

Somebody build me a Shrieking Shack! Quick! Before it's too late. For I am untamable.









Just let me be.

Spur of the Moment

...Umm..hello.

Let's see..you know what? olderish ladies are really cool to talk to. That's something new I discovered. So I hope when I get olderish I'll be really cool to talk to too.

WAAHHH! give me something to write about!! D: