Today a small bird continued to run into the window. As I was reading on my kindle in almost
quiet, the bird was becoming a nuisance.
However, when I glanced up to see if it was going to continue its
(inevitable) knocking I had a realization…
The race has given me the chance to meet lots of people and
live closely with a small team. These
quarters offer a challenge: mesh and make do with the mix of
personalities. As a people lover and
outgoing person myself, I don’t really dislike this new communal living
situation.
Although I love people, I don’t always love all people. There are people who I don’t get along with
and people who don’t like me. Yet,
overall, I genuinely appreciate the differences God created in all of us. On the world race, I live with a team of
individuals from all over the United States
with all different personalities, attitudes and opinions.
The little bird today reminded me of this. When I find myself geting frustrated with
those around me, I need to be introspective.
My first search for reasoning shouldn’t begin with the other person and
my perception of them; my first inclination should be to look inside and
analyze myself. My attitude, background,
perception of recent events and more all color my reaction and emotions. Thus, I need to search my soul for the roots
of the anger, confusion, irritation or annoyance.
“How can you say to
your brother, ‘brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when
you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye?”
Luke 6:41-42
This amazing philosophical realization came all because the
bird was forcefully flying at its reflection in the window. It dawned on me that the bird could have been
trying to “attack” the very familiar bird.
That is, the bird may have decided that a quality in the reflection was
annoying…Yet, really the bird way aggravated with himself. The characteristic that bothered the bird was
one that the bird was self conscious about in himself.
This simple, stubborn bird helped me reframe my attitude
about difficult relationships. My new
team, Team REAL, is full of opinions. Believe
it or not, they are not always agreeing opinions…but it truly is a joy to be on
team with individuals, with people who confidently know themselves. We have lively discussions and sometimes the
tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife. What I’m learning is that what bothers me
the most in others is often something I’m working on in myself.
“For he himself is
our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the
dividing wall of hostility…he might create in himself one new man in place of
the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body
through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.”
Ephesians 2: 14-16
I tend to be very detail oriented and some might say I’m
talkative. I can be irritatingly indecisive.
I like to be fashionably late. I
can be controlling and slightly OCD…but these issues and character traits
become more apparent to me as I interact with others. “Seeing myself” helps me gain an outside
perspective. I am able to see how my attitude
or behaviors might influence or impact others.
So, next time, rather than stubbornly flying at the other
bird for their actions, and really just ending up with a headache, I am going
to try a little introspection.
