I knew she saw me. And as I glanced her way and I caught her eye, her whole body language shouted out that she would prefer not to talk to me.
I had a choice to make in that moment. I could just go about what I was busy doing, or I could go over to her table and acknowledge her and be kind. I choose the later. It was awkward but it was right. I knew it was what the Lord was asking of me.
I didn't even know until a few weeks ago that she had been offended by someone I love dearly. Even though the offense was a misunderstanding and not at all what she thought was portrayed. She choose to still believe a lie and choose to live with an offense that wasn't there.
Years ago, a special older lady from Oregon, taught me a very valuable lesson. I was visiting her in her home and she shared that she had some people over the night before and one of the people visiting made a negative comment about her home. She told me, at the moment she choose not to be offended and let it go.
I've never forgotten those wise words from a very wise woman.
I know in my journey of life, that I too, have many times chosen to take up an offense. Sometimes the offense is real. Sometimes it was never meant to be an offense and was a misunderstanding, and I choose to take it up and simmer. Either way, the Lord wants to bring healing to relationships. The choice is mine. The choice is yours.
We are all in process. We wound, we hurt and we offend in this journey of life.
In those offenses that need attention and confronting, yes, Scripture teaches us to go to one another. To seek forgiveness and to forgive. In those misunderstandings that were never intended to be offenses, talk them out and go on too. Life is too short to hold on to things that were never meant to be negative.
We always have the choice on how we will respond.
I had a choice to make in that moment. I could just go about what I was busy doing, or I could go over to her table and acknowledge her and be kind. I choose the later. It was awkward but it was right. I knew it was what the Lord was asking of me.
I didn't even know until a few weeks ago that she had been offended by someone I love dearly. Even though the offense was a misunderstanding and not at all what she thought was portrayed. She choose to still believe a lie and choose to live with an offense that wasn't there.
Years ago, a special older lady from Oregon, taught me a very valuable lesson. I was visiting her in her home and she shared that she had some people over the night before and one of the people visiting made a negative comment about her home. She told me, at the moment she choose not to be offended and let it go.
I've never forgotten those wise words from a very wise woman.
I know in my journey of life, that I too, have many times chosen to take up an offense. Sometimes the offense is real. Sometimes it was never meant to be an offense and was a misunderstanding, and I choose to take it up and simmer. Either way, the Lord wants to bring healing to relationships. The choice is mine. The choice is yours.
We are all in process. We wound, we hurt and we offend in this journey of life.
In those offenses that need attention and confronting, yes, Scripture teaches us to go to one another. To seek forgiveness and to forgive. In those misunderstandings that were never intended to be offenses, talk them out and go on too. Life is too short to hold on to things that were never meant to be negative.
We always have the choice on how we will respond.
