Patience and Humility

Sometimes I'm ashamed of myself when I get on my high horse, upset because someone doesn't understand what I'm trying to say, or what something means to me, or doesn't even seem to care. I'm not talking about strangers - I mean folks I'm close to. I'm quick to point out their flaws when they interrupt me in the middle of something I'm trying to explain. I'm quick to tell them they don't understand what I'm getting at.

But to paraphrase the old saying, "who died and made ME boss?" Who do I think I am, anyway? I think back to Jesus and how misunderstood he was during his final days. There's no way I am going through what he went through - he was spat on, degraded, ridiculed, and more. But he never jumped up and told them they were wrong.

The whole thing seems to be about whether my speaking up will make any difference in the long run. Most of the times that upset me, I know in my heart that no matter what I say, it will not make one bit of difference. The person(s) involved are not going to change their opinion or attitude. At least, not right now.

So how on earth can I manage to get through those irritating times? Obviously, I need to be more patient and take a deep breath and think about whether it is important in the overall scheme of things - in eternity - in God's plans. I need to be more humble and realize that it's not about me all the time, no matter how much I think I have that humility thing nailed down. I suppose that when I am most proud of thinking I am humble, it is pride speaking and that sort of cancels out the so-called humility I think I have.

Dear Lord, in the future, when I am irritated because I feel misunderstood, fill me with the grace I need to understand whether the whole issue is really all that important in the plans you have for me; and then fill me with more grace so that I might pray for the other person, if need be, rather than try to convince them in my words, not yours.