Sometimes I Just Wish She'd Fall on Her Face

Sometimes I just wish she'd fall on her face... maybe with a little push...

Let me ask you this - have you ever disliked someone so much that when you see them walk by, your shoulders slump and you silently say "ugh"? Have you ever semi-hoped they trip and fall flat their face? Have you ever wished you could just push them (or punch them, or verbally go off on them)?

Working at a local gas station, I am time and time forced to see the few people whom I feel this way about. I am forced to paste on a smile and pretend I'm happy they're still breathing. But the minute I see them drive up, my shoulders slump and (not so silently) give that "ugh."

Yes, I know this makes me sound like a really horrible person. And, well, I am at times. I'm human.

That anger and desire for revenge is real in all our hearts. We usually try to push past it. We try to fight it. We try to forgive.

But it's very difficult to forgive when the other person doesn't apologize. It's very difficult to forgive when that other person doesn't even realize they did anything wrong. It's very difficult to forgive when we want to hold onto that anger.

But that is when we really need to turn to God and ask for help in forgiving. That's when we really need to forgive. In the meme above, it says to forgive because God requires it. I think that should, instead, say "Forgive, because God has forgiven us."

God forgives us even when we don't realize we've done something wrong. God forgives us even when we don't tell him we're sorry. And he continuously loves us through it all, even when we feel we don't deserve that forgiveness or love.

So today's Lenten sacrifice:

Let go of feelings of revenge and hate. 

This is perhaps one of the most difficult to do - especially when it's someone who isn't sorry. But that's the person who needs your love and forgiveness the most. That's the person who needs the love and forgiveness of God the most (and, already has it).

When you see these people walk by, squash those "I hope you get hit by a bus" feelings, and replace them with love. God will be right there with you to help you figure out how to do that. Trust in him.

May the Lord bless you with love and forgiveness, and the ability to love and forgive, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.