I was part of a board meeting last night where a letter was read. The guy listed several things that were bothering him. What I heard was, “Here is what I am unhappy about: 1,2,3,4.” The letter sounded critical and negative, and I said so.
To my amazement, the other board members (all six of them) didn’t hear it that way. Their generous hearts heard, “Here are some issues that are concerning me: 1,2,3,4.” And they discussed those issues compassionately.
We all heard the same words. I was tremendously embarrassed to have been the only one who heard them negatively. I have committed my life to seeing God’s man through the turmoil, through the fog, to finding Christ in the other person. And I fell flat on my face last night.
I took a walk this morning to talk to God about this troubling event. My first choice would have been a walk in a forest or a field. It was instead down the sidewalk in my neighborhood where they are building a new firehouse and, in fact, the sidewalk is torn up in places.
But you know what? God doesn’t only speak to us in the quiet of the forests and the fields. God speaks to our hearts, even on city sidewalks. I wanted to come to terms with that letter and my reaction to it. And what I heard from God was so comforting, “Just love. You don’t have to judge.”
“Oh! That simple?” I asked.
“Yes, that simple!”
I realized I didn’t have to judge or react. If I stick with my life commitment, I can see past even criticism and negativity to find Christ, and I can be part of the solution instead of escalating the problem.
To my amazement, the other board members (all six of them) didn’t hear it that way. Their generous hearts heard, “Here are some issues that are concerning me: 1,2,3,4.” And they discussed those issues compassionately.
We all heard the same words. I was tremendously embarrassed to have been the only one who heard them negatively. I have committed my life to seeing God’s man through the turmoil, through the fog, to finding Christ in the other person. And I fell flat on my face last night.
I took a walk this morning to talk to God about this troubling event. My first choice would have been a walk in a forest or a field. It was instead down the sidewalk in my neighborhood where they are building a new firehouse and, in fact, the sidewalk is torn up in places.
But you know what? God doesn’t only speak to us in the quiet of the forests and the fields. God speaks to our hearts, even on city sidewalks. I wanted to come to terms with that letter and my reaction to it. And what I heard from God was so comforting, “Just love. You don’t have to judge.”
“Oh! That simple?” I asked.
“Yes, that simple!”
I realized I didn’t have to judge or react. If I stick with my life commitment, I can see past even criticism and negativity to find Christ, and I can be part of the solution instead of escalating the problem.
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