hard lessons

I am convinced that there are a certain type of people who wake up each morning determined to make everyone in their path miserable.

Before they open their mouth, the look on their face tells the story; the scowl, the creased forehead, the squinty eyes.

Now I'm not talking about the kind of person who has the occassional bad day or the one who sees the cup as half empty. I'm talking the one who, no matter how sweetly a store clerk might speak to her, can not find nice words to say back.

Well today a woman that falls into the category described above, graced me with her presence. I'm telling you, she was just looking for a fight, and she almost got one.

Let me tell ya, miss crabby pants sure got under my skin today. Twenty nice people can say all nice things, but the words of that one unpleasant person can stick with you all day long! I vented to my poor husband via text message, and he sent one back, it said, "Think of the 200 nice things ppl have said, and remember me and Jesus love u."

Awwww! And then it hit me, oh yeah, that sermon series, yuck I can not and will not forgive crabby lady...she's undeserving! No, we're called to forgive....everyone. And in reality I got pretty snippy with her so I probably could apologize myself.

God sure asks us to live up to big things, doesn't He? I so want to make exceptions to the rule...my mind thinks even Jesus would get annoyed with that lady!!!!

So, I've asked God to help me forgive even crabby pants, and while I was praying I found myself praying for her, asking God to heal whatever inside her makes her so bitter toward the world. Wow that sure feels better than the stewing I had been doing over her unkindness.

God calls us to forgive, he gives us the forgiveness in our hearts, even when we can't muster it on our own, and then peace follows. God's methods are so good and so right!