I passed a church the other day—you
know, one of those with the reader board out front. They often post funny or
inspirational sayings along with notice of events and times. I am often
laughing as I pass them by on my way to work in the morning, but this message
really struck a chord with me, so here are my thoughts on this pearl of wisdom:
“It is easy to act like a
Christian, but harder to react like a Christian.”
Since my job literally demands that
I act like a Christian you would think it would be easier for me than it often
is. After all, practice should make perfect, right? Ha Ha, I
hear Him laughing right now. J Every
morning before we open at Hope House, we offer prayers for kindness, compassion
and patience. It’s the last word that gets me every time---patience. Oh Lord,
please bless me with patience!
Without patience, my reactions to
angry, demanding and stressed out clients can be very reactive and non-Christ
like. My staff says I end up using my “Mom voice” to redirect clients into
polite behavior. I say I just lose my cool and am too demanding of people who
are already struggling with life on a moment-to-moment basis—much to my shame.
I also saw a t-shirt advertised
online that said “I’m part Jesus and part John. Get closer so you can see which
one I am today” I love it, but I tend towards John almost every day. I am
brash, outspoken (often without thinking first!) and direct for the most
part---but I do love all of the Body of Christ so much! I hope He understands
that (I’m sure He does!)
Blessings, compassion and patience
from Hope House.
