KEEP AN OPEN HEART

All who live by the sword will die by the sword. -- Matthew 26:52

I try to remember that quote when I'm all up in my head setting yet another friend/foe, stranger/acquaintance, any politician straight. Only I drop the "s" in "sword" and think "all who live by the word will die by the word." Because that's where X percent (all?) wars start...with words. Disrespecting words.

It has taken me a long time to realize (by that I mean to do) but a way to freedom from self is not to walk away from a disagreement...it is to get closer to the person we're disagreeing with. Here's the key...we're not in it to change his mind, but to change our heart. If she is spouting trash, we do not want to change our mind in order to agree with that trash, we just don't want to mistake her for the trash. That's what happens when we take the words personally.

Trash talk is only as hurtful to us as we want it to be...as we allow it to be. It becomes our truth if we resist it. Resistance becomes Velcro-like and brings the snark closer in to us, making it our own...we are nurturing it in effect. 

Remember the old adage, "Hate the action not the actor." The same principle applies here. Detach from the words, attach to the speaker...with an open heart. If we keep an open heart, we will never again have to worry about how we're going to love our enemy, or be kind to those who despitefully use us. God flows out from our open heart and there is love.

Our open heart is God's escape hatch.

Thank you.