Kindness is feeling really pissed at someone but being sweet anyway.... (maybe)
With that said kindness week has come to a close and with it some trials of sorts. What I have been shown is that staying kind when you have been wronged is incredibly tough! We long to reciprocate anger, get a zing in when we have been zapped . I contemplated "killing with kindness " after someone left a rude note on my car. I grabbed a pen and in my anger scribbled a rude apology and ended with a witchy "God bless". I am fairly certain God didn't intend for it to be used that way. Don't worry I didn't return the note as I had planned . There is just something about returning the rudeness that soothes me. By taking the "high road" I felt unsettled. I desired to get a word in, play there game. However I truly believe kindness is sometimes keeping your trap shut. I am not saying become a door mat and if someone truly wrongs you stand still, but rather pick your battles. People can be rude, I am guilty of it too, but think if we chose the high road more often, this place might be a bit sweeter.
Goals from Kindness week : To show kindness to all, regardless of circumstances. I also wanted to work on genuine kindness. I am a people pleaser, and often I do acts of kindness out of my need to please . I don't think that's as awesome as just doing it out of love, so I am working on that! I also had a goal of buying someone's coffee in the drive thru, however I haven't done that yet but I am planning on doing it!
Friday, April 20, 2012
Week 1: Patience
Thoughts from my journal on Patience :
I think patience can best be obtained by seeing people as God sees them. This however is not an easy thing to do. To get to the heart of the hurting. As humans we lash out when we are tired, hungry( I work with kids lol ) when things in our personal life are a mess. I guess the point I am trying to grasp is that when we become impatient with people because they are being human towards us I think the best way to be patient with them is to see what God sees, which is a son or daughter, maybe one who is hurting. Our ultimate goal should be to give them grace. ( I am getting a bit peppy ( freaking me out ) )
Patient in affliction?
I don't do so well with this. In a week and a half I popped a tire, renewed license plates and wound up needing a new car battery. The plates were no ones fault by my own but the rest was unexpected and resulted in setbacks at work and financially. I was anything but calm, rational or patient. Stressed and emotional.
So while reading in Romans 12 I came across this "patient in affliction" business and realized I suck at it.
Now $ 300 isn't an affliction of the worst kind, but it's what happened to me that week, so run with it : )
I guess one thing that was shown to me this week, is that Patience isn't just to be given to others (though it should be) we need to be patient with ourselves and our Creator. Now when I say patient with our creator it's not that God is making all these mistakes and we need to give him some grace , it's just that God is in charge. He has a plan for our lives even when chaos abounds. He is still boss. So before freaking out and giving God a lecture (am I the only one? ) remember his timing is perfect and he will provide! So be patient in His timing. Let's be real though , that's tough being a control freak and all...
During this week long ride I also came to the conclusion that we need to be patient with ourselves. I said it, ourselves. We are imperfect beings ( really admit it)! So when we fall from our alleged thrones, or are less than gracious, or have no patience or there is nothing remotely good about us that day, we need to be patient. Sometimes when I've had day full of many human mistakes I get down and feel like a failure. I guess the best road to take is an educated one. Look back, how could I have changed this day, what could I have done to be more ( fill in the blank) ? Were learning and growing and that takes time... I keep saying we, but no one but D knows I'm doing this, ah whatev's .
Side notes :
One thing I did for patience week was choose someone I struggle being patient with. (it's no one online, don't worry ) Though I didn't see any huge change the first week 3 weeks later our relationship has grown immensely! I discovered that by being impatient with said individual I was trampling on who she was created to be. Basically I expected her to fit into the box I had built for her, behave this way blah blah blah.
How unfair is that? Now I am working on embracing that, and it really has been a joy!
I think patience can best be obtained by seeing people as God sees them. This however is not an easy thing to do. To get to the heart of the hurting. As humans we lash out when we are tired, hungry( I work with kids lol ) when things in our personal life are a mess. I guess the point I am trying to grasp is that when we become impatient with people because they are being human towards us I think the best way to be patient with them is to see what God sees, which is a son or daughter, maybe one who is hurting. Our ultimate goal should be to give them grace. ( I am getting a bit peppy ( freaking me out ) )
Patient in affliction?
I don't do so well with this. In a week and a half I popped a tire, renewed license plates and wound up needing a new car battery. The plates were no ones fault by my own but the rest was unexpected and resulted in setbacks at work and financially. I was anything but calm, rational or patient. Stressed and emotional.
So while reading in Romans 12 I came across this "patient in affliction" business and realized I suck at it.
Now $ 300 isn't an affliction of the worst kind, but it's what happened to me that week, so run with it : )
I guess one thing that was shown to me this week, is that Patience isn't just to be given to others (though it should be) we need to be patient with ourselves and our Creator. Now when I say patient with our creator it's not that God is making all these mistakes and we need to give him some grace , it's just that God is in charge. He has a plan for our lives even when chaos abounds. He is still boss. So before freaking out and giving God a lecture (am I the only one? ) remember his timing is perfect and he will provide! So be patient in His timing. Let's be real though , that's tough being a control freak and all...
During this week long ride I also came to the conclusion that we need to be patient with ourselves. I said it, ourselves. We are imperfect beings ( really admit it)! So when we fall from our alleged thrones, or are less than gracious, or have no patience or there is nothing remotely good about us that day, we need to be patient. Sometimes when I've had day full of many human mistakes I get down and feel like a failure. I guess the best road to take is an educated one. Look back, how could I have changed this day, what could I have done to be more ( fill in the blank) ? Were learning and growing and that takes time... I keep saying we, but no one but D knows I'm doing this, ah whatev's .
Side notes :
One thing I did for patience week was choose someone I struggle being patient with. (it's no one online, don't worry ) Though I didn't see any huge change the first week 3 weeks later our relationship has grown immensely! I discovered that by being impatient with said individual I was trampling on who she was created to be. Basically I expected her to fit into the box I had built for her, behave this way blah blah blah.
How unfair is that? Now I am working on embracing that, and it really has been a joy!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
The Project
If I see in myself something...
something not good,
something dark and twisted and almost evil...
why not kill it.
Here I go.
First Step.
This is my journey.
The Road to selflessness.
To become...
a better wife
daughter
sister
friend
human.
Daughter of the King.
Put others before myself.
Truly love and develop a servants heart.
Here goes nothing.
So it became clear to me that the keys to a selfless life were in one of of my favorite passages.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
So I have broken this journey into ten key steps (highlighted in red) in order to achieve selflessness. I am still human, and will not always be selfless but this is to get me in the mindset.
Week 1 : Patience
Week 2: Kindness
Week 3: Envy(and what comes with it)
Week 4: Boasting
Week 5: Pride (yikes)
Week 6: does not dishonor others
Week 7:not self seeking
Week 8:not easily angered
Week 9:Keeps no record of wrongs
Week 10: Does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
something not good,
something dark and twisted and almost evil...
why not kill it.
Here I go.
First Step.
This is my journey.
The Road to selflessness.
To become...
a better wife
daughter
sister
friend
human.
Daughter of the King.
Put others before myself.
Truly love and develop a servants heart.
Here goes nothing.
self·less
adjective
having little or no concern for oneself, especially with regard to fame, position, money, etc.; unselfish.
So it became clear to me that the keys to a selfless life were in one of of my favorite passages.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
So I have broken this journey into ten key steps (highlighted in red) in order to achieve selflessness. I am still human, and will not always be selfless but this is to get me in the mindset.
Week 1 : Patience
Week 2: Kindness
Week 3: Envy(and what comes with it)
Week 4: Boasting
Week 5: Pride (yikes)
Week 6: does not dishonor others
Week 7:not self seeking
Week 8:not easily angered
Week 9:Keeps no record of wrongs
Week 10: Does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
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