Today, as I was out working in the garden my neighbor's niece (who is staying with him due to his age and health) started talking to me. She made it a point, as always, to share some of her infinite knowledge of everything with me. (If that sounds sarcastic, it was meant to.) Every time I talk to her she makes sure to let me know that she knows more about what I'm doing or talking about than I do. It's getting to the point that when I see her coming, I want to run into the house until she goes into hers but I know that that's not what Jesus would do. So, I do my best to smile and be as nice as I possibly can, the entire time wishing she would just go inside and bother her poor old uncle instead of me.
I hate feeling this way about somebody but I just do. How do people manage to be genuinely loving to people that they just can't stand? It can only be by the direction of the Holy Spirit. I want to be able to be like that. I want to have patience, I want to literally love my neighbor....
I would think its by putting yourself in her shoes. Perhaps she really does not have anyone else to talk to except her older uncle. Perhaps no one has ever told her that she is good enough or smart enough and she has to exalt herself by talking down to others. It's not right, but I think Jesus would want you to accept her for who she is and engage with her. Maybe with time she will realize that she is loved.
ReplyDeleteThank you Simone. I needed that.
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