Apparently, it is a hard concept to grasp but we always have a choice between feeling happy or feeling hurt...or feeling anything else for that matter.
I recall an experience I had back when I had the care and feeding of the IRS. A fairly wealthy friend of mine from my California days paid my plane fare to come visit her and her husband. At the time, I didn't have two pennies to bless myself with, and I of course had to give her a gift. I haunted used book stores, second-hand accessory shops...anywhere I thought I'd find an impressive brand name gift at a miracle price.
I found nothing. My fallback, failsafe idea was that I might be willing to part with my beloved sterling and turquoise bracelet...if I found nothing at all to give her. She was a fan of Indian jewelry, particularly silver and turquoise, so I knew it would be welcome.
Indeed, I found nothing else, so I wrapped my bracelet and gave it to her for Christmas. It never entered my mind that there are different levels of acceptable silver and turquoise bracelets. Mine did not make the cut. My friend looked at it with distinct disdain, thanked me, and that was it.
My gift from God right on the spot was that I realized I could choose to feel hurt at her response or to feel happy that I loved a friend more than I loved a piece of jewelry...how she felt about it was of no never mind.
I never had another thought about that until just recently when a similar event occurred to another friend. I had my experience to pass on to her, and she got it. What a joy! We giggled like teenagers at our freedom of choice!
God is so good to us.
Thank you.
I recall an experience I had back when I had the care and feeding of the IRS. A fairly wealthy friend of mine from my California days paid my plane fare to come visit her and her husband. At the time, I didn't have two pennies to bless myself with, and I of course had to give her a gift. I haunted used book stores, second-hand accessory shops...anywhere I thought I'd find an impressive brand name gift at a miracle price.
I found nothing. My fallback, failsafe idea was that I might be willing to part with my beloved sterling and turquoise bracelet...if I found nothing at all to give her. She was a fan of Indian jewelry, particularly silver and turquoise, so I knew it would be welcome.
Indeed, I found nothing else, so I wrapped my bracelet and gave it to her for Christmas. It never entered my mind that there are different levels of acceptable silver and turquoise bracelets. Mine did not make the cut. My friend looked at it with distinct disdain, thanked me, and that was it.
My gift from God right on the spot was that I realized I could choose to feel hurt at her response or to feel happy that I loved a friend more than I loved a piece of jewelry...how she felt about it was of no never mind.
I never had another thought about that until just recently when a similar event occurred to another friend. I had my experience to pass on to her, and she got it. What a joy! We giggled like teenagers at our freedom of choice!
God is so good to us.
Thank you.
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