You know those situations that almost require you to get annoyed? Like when someone leaves their dirty cup in the lounge for the hundredth time?
Turns out, getting angry isn’t the best response. Love is. Picking that cup right up and taking it to where is belongs.
But why? you ask. Well, here’s why: because in the long run, love is the answer. And I’m not talking about the airy fairy, full of emotions and heart emojis love. I’m talking the nitty gritty, ‘Love is a verb’ kind of love. Doing something for someone else because you love them- taking out the rubbish, making them dinner, picking up that dirty cup. They’re not grand gesture but they do matter. ‘Love your neighbour’ isn’t followed by a full stop.
‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’
That puts a different spin on things, doesn’t it? Wouldn’t you want someone to pick up your cup instead of getting angry at you for leaving it there?
Sure, you might not want to clean up after them day in and day out but it’s better than getting angry with them. If their still leaving their cup in the lounge, then they haven’t got the message.
For me, loving my neighbour hasn’t always been my first response in most situations. It still isn’t. I have had to work on it continuously.
I didn’t always think this way but that was before I realised that my reaction to those I thought have wronged me was actually ruining my relationships. Rifts were being created between us that I thought were justified: I deemed myself offended so I justified my response. That was until I realised that I didn’t enjoy being angry with these people. They didn’t know what they had done- I hadn’t told them. It got to a point where this anger and so-called offense affected my ability to even be in the same room as them. Taking a step back, I had to look at the situation before I realised that nothing they had done couldn’t be solved by me talking to them. By acting from a place of love and not anger. So, I talked to them. And it worked. The situation was cleared up and the offense that I had been holding on to was gone.
It was a humbling experience, having to confront someone and admit the hurt. It is something I will continually be working on. And it will be especially important as I come into the World Race. At times we will be tired and hungry and tempers will fray. In those times it will be easy to lash out and to get frustrated with my teammates, even over something as little as a dirty cup lying around. So, in those moments, it on’t be my first reaction, it will be hard, but I will chose to love.
