So what bugs me? Bad car parkers. You know what I'm talking about. Those people who take up TWO spaces, usually near the front of the store with their cars. Those line crossers! It irks me. And don't even get me started on the people who do it on purpose because they have a "nice" car and don't want anyone parking next to them. Seriously??? If you are so concerned about your car getting scratched, don't park it in a parking lot, up front, where everyone else wants to park. Gah!!!
Something else that gets under my skin are those people on the highway, who clearly see the road sign stating that there is a lane closure ahead, and decide that they are going to run clear up to the end of the lane-bypassing everyone else who followed the rules and got in line-- to try and cut in. I don't like that. It just doesn't set well with my sense of fairness. And, I am going to admit something here and now-- that my kindness disappears when faced with these people. I am like Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, shouting "You Shall Not Pass!" while edging my car up as close as I can to the car in front of me. I probably should hang my head in shame at this admission, but the true fact is I don't feel shame in the moment and I am loathe to apologize for something that I am not sorry for.
And, while I am being honest, our media's constant need to cover EVERY little detail about EVERY trial to the point where I am so sick of hearing about it, bugs me. I am sick to death of political adds, political attacks, political comments, in general. It bugs me that my grocery store keeps moving products around and making my trip to the store take longer. And I could go on and on.
But I think the thing that bugs me most, that troubles me most, is unkindness. I love social media. I enjoy keeping in touch with people, being able to share a little bit of what is happening in their lives. However, the unkindness that is often demonstrated in social media bugs me. I have no issue with someone not liking the presidents "actions." I don't agree with everything he does either. But, when that disagreement turns into unkind personal attacks, I draw the line. Is it just me, or does any body else feel like we've crossed the line when someone disagrees with our opinion? And I'm not just talking about political beliefs here. I'm not against someone having an opinion. I even think disagreement can be healthy. It is ok to disagree. It's not ok to be derogatory or demeaning towards ANYONE. EVER. If you find yourself demeaning, devaluing, or degrading someone when defending or expressing your opinion, you need to stop and check yourself. We need to ask ourselves if our opinions or positions on a subject are more important than the person/people we are addressing. If that answer is yes, then you are wrong. Just because I may feel like I have the moral high ground on a subject does not give me the right to beat the person who disagrees with me bloody with my words. I have the right to disagree with you. I do not have the right to be unkind.
To be honest, I am running into more and more people who have been hurt by opinionated Christians. Deeply hurt. I think sometimes we loose sight of the fact that we are supposed to first show love to others. We choose our "convictions" over the commandment of "love one another." We get so caught up in the fight that we forget that that those who are on the other side are actual live people. And I have been guilty of this. I don't know if it is because I am getting older, or because I have at times myself been deeply hurt by the words of another. But I am finding that more and more I am striving to show kindness and love. That the need or desire to first show kindness and love to others trumps the need for others to agree with me. I am not saying that I have laid aside my convictions and beliefs, but they are taking a backseat, so to speak, to love and kindness.
So my challenge to myself and to you is to evaluate my words when disagreeing with someone or some position. To make sure that I am talking or writing with kindness. To make sure that while I may disagree with the opinion, I'm not slipping into that tempting area of personal attack. To make sure that I never loose sight of the fact that my first goal is to treat everyone with kindness first.
So, since we are on the subject of bugs, I'll leave you with a few photos of some of my favorite buggy friends. Have a great day!
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