People are crazy. All of us: Crazy.
There's this Pinterest quote I saw...
Love....or friendship, requires a mutual weirdness. It's funny. And true. I'm pretty sure that I will spend my whole life still learning about people and relationships. They're complicated, and wonderful and sometimes terribly frustrating.
I'm convinced that God uses the frustrating relationships in my life to refine me, and change me. I'm also convinced He uses them to help me value and appreciate those whose weirdness is compatible with mine.
As I look at my inner-circle of people, I can't help but smile at their weirdness. All unique. All crazy. And completely different.
I read an article awhile back about relationships, and it said something to the affect that we become a lot like the combination of the five people we spend the most time with. It went on to talk about Jesus, and His ministry to the masses as well as how he interacted with the few that were in His inner-circle. And it got me thinking. Who are my 5? Who's 5 am I in? And how are they affecting me and me affecting them?
Do I leave those in the inner better than I found them? Do I rub off on them positively or negatively? How do my mannerisms, thoughts, words, beliefs, actions change them? Are they better for having been in my presence?
Or...
Do I leave them feeling discouraged? Annoyed? Frustrated? Do I complain too much and listen too little? Is our relationship about my agenda, my needs, my everything?
Tough questions...but crucial. Sometimes tough questions require tough answers, and tough answers mean even harder changes.
I'm convinced that God uses the frustrating relationships in my life to refine me, and change me. I'm also convinced He uses them to help me value and appreciate those whose weirdness is compatible with mine.
As I look at my inner-circle of people, I can't help but smile at their weirdness. All unique. All crazy. And completely different.
I read an article awhile back about relationships, and it said something to the affect that we become a lot like the combination of the five people we spend the most time with. It went on to talk about Jesus, and His ministry to the masses as well as how he interacted with the few that were in His inner-circle. And it got me thinking. Who are my 5? Who's 5 am I in? And how are they affecting me and me affecting them?
Do I leave those in the inner better than I found them? Do I rub off on them positively or negatively? How do my mannerisms, thoughts, words, beliefs, actions change them? Are they better for having been in my presence?
Or...
Do I leave them feeling discouraged? Annoyed? Frustrated? Do I complain too much and listen too little? Is our relationship about my agenda, my needs, my everything?
Tough questions...but crucial. Sometimes tough questions require tough answers, and tough answers mean even harder changes.
Philippians 4:8
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
I want my mouth and my life to match when it comes to this verse. I want to think and speak on those things FAR more than I vent and complain about their opposites. And that is hard.
But I didn't make it up. God did. And it sounds lovely.
I want my mouth and my life to match when it comes to this verse. I want to think and speak on those things FAR more than I vent and complain about their opposites. And that is hard.
But I didn't make it up. God did. And it sounds lovely.
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This post really made me think and I shared it with several of the "weird" people in my life. ;) Thanks for the thought for the day and week. Really something to consider.
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