"If your enemies are hungry, feed them...and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you." Don't let it get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good. - ROMANS 12:20-21 NLT
WOUNDED KNEE MASSACRE, 1890
There may be people in your life that no matter how accommodating and nice you are - will not return your friendship. It can be frustrating. You want to have peace, but they prefer conflict. If you respond in anger, there will never be harmony between you. However when you continue to treat them with kindness, eventually you prevail over whatever feelings they have against you. You don't have to surrender your principles - you must simply assert them with gentleness and wisdom. The only way to sway your rivals is to pray for them and be kind. You will find that as you were busy making peace, you were also making a friend.
I read this today, how timely. This morning I was in Bethesda in a parking lot. A car pulled up and parked beside me. An old man opened the door into my door and struggled to get out of the car. His wife brought a wheel chair to his door and he set in it. She pushed him to a store.
ReplyDeleteI was in my car on a conference call with the modern wonder, the cell phone. When I saw them coming back, I ended my call so I could get out and help him back into the car.
I approached and offered my help to which the lady very bluntly replied, "we know how to do this" refusing my offer of assistance. She then stated she just needed more room (I think she was referring to the opening of her door into mine, which I had no intention of bringing up).
I told her if she would wait a moment I would pull out and give her the space she needed. He never said a word and she seemed quite irrated.
As I got into the car I turned and said (sincerely) have a nice day. She seemed to light up a little and said you too. Then before I closed the door she said, thank you for offering to help.