Recently I read that if you put bunch of black ants and an equal number of red ants in a jar, nothing will happen. They will get along just fine. But if you shake the jar, they will start to kill each other. The red ants will consider the black ants as their enemy and the black ants will think the red ants are their enemy. Neither group did anything wrong, the person who shook the jar is to blame, but they attack each other.
If we are not careful, we can do the same thing. We get upset about something and take it out on those around us, when they are not at fault for whatever happened. Once the attacks start, they can escalate quickly. Unfortunately, way too many get hurt in these circumstances. Recently, I was in a situation where someone was taking everything out on the person they are the closest too. I am not sure if they thought that was a safe person to vent on because the person would still love them, but it was not good to watch. I think that is the reason for a lot of relationships to fail… whether marriages, friendships, or even business dealings.
When we got married, someone we respected told us to always be kind to each other. At the time I thought that was a bit strange since I expected something much more profound from them. Someone else that meant a lot to us said, always leave the others dignity intact. Those pieces of advice have saved us a lot of heartache. When we remember that no matter how upset we are, we need to still be kind, and say anything that would hurt their dignity, it saves a lot of heartache.
Sometimes it can be hard to deal with our feelings in a manner that deals with the issues without making a greater problem with the person. That is where it has always helped me to be able to pray about it and for the person(s) involved. I can’t see things from everyone else’s perspective, but my Father in heaven can. And He helps me deal with tough situations. He can do the same for you. When we all treat each other with kindness and dignity, things will be a lot better.
God bless you,
Love, mary