June 9, 2024
The evening before this happened, we rearranged the furniture in our young twin daughters’ bedroom. In the middle of that night, one of them woke up crying. I hurried to calm and quiet her.
Without turning on the light, I decided to sit in a chair with her for awhile. Slam! My back hit the dresser and we dropped to the floor. In my sleepiness and the darkness, I forgot that the chair had been moved.
Like the furniture in the bedroom, sometimes the details of our lives are “rearranged.” Routines are interrupted, relationships turn sour, or tasks become more complicated. We need to turn on the light of God’s Word in our minds to help us “see” better.
Years ago, I had to deal with a difficult person who seemed to upset my life- and me- daily.
But reading Jesus’ words shed some light on this situation. He said: “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them…But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish.”
( Luke 6:32, 35 RSV)
Full of pride, I felt that I truly loved others. However, they always loved me back! No credit there. God showed me that this person in my life was a test for me to be kind and do good without being loved in return.*
*Just to clarify: The case I just mentioned had many complexities, including the need for boundaries. You may be interested in books about healthy boundaries with toxic people.
Henry Cloud and John Townsend wrote a good book on this topic.
Lysa Terkeurst is also a wise resource.
