Can I just be completely honest? I've had a spectacularly crappy day. I mean, I didn't get diagnosed with cancer or anything horrible like that. I've just had a bad day at work - well, I work from home, but you know what I mean.
It started out with an email that informed me pictures did not get taken. I then was blamed for two mistakes I didn't actually make - that's a lot of fun, let me tell you.
I got those things straightened out, but every time I sat down to write my rough draft, the phone rang or someone came to the door or the dryer buzzed or....well, you get the idea.
It was just one of those days.
I had managed to put it all behind me (sort of anyway) and was cleaning up the dinner dishes, when the phone rang. It was a photographer who was on assignment for one of my articles. He was - how should I put this? - rather ugly to me. Since he is normally a nice guy, I was taken aback and sort of ticked, to be truthful.
I mean, the reason he was there was because he didn't show up where he was supposed to be two days ago. So why yell at me??
I was oh so tempted to bring up his failure and stick it right back in his face. Instead I bit my tongue (I think there might be holes) and tried to be gracious. Lest you think I'm some kind of saint, it was mainly because my kids were all right there and they had a friend over. I didn't to blow up in front of a guest!
After this lovely conversation, I followed my long-suffering husband into the bedroom and told him that I didn't get paid nearly enough for this aggravation. He, being the even-keeled, non-emotional type of guy he is, was trying to soothe me. Instead, I was sort of annoyed he didn't want to go punch the guy in the nose! Hmph!
After a few deep breaths, I decided I needed to call back said photographer and offer to go where he was and help out. It was MY article after all, and he wasn't sure what kind of pictures I wanted. No, he hadn't said it in a very nice way, but there you were - my responsibility when you got down to it.
When I called back and offered to come over there, he reverted back to the nice guy I've known for about a year and a half and apologized for the way he had talked to me. He shared that he too had had a very crappy day and one of his main lenses for his camera was broken making getting the shot we both wanted impossible. I told him that we all have our moments and to forget about it.
I have to say that I really appreciated his apology. Should he have gotten all ugly? No, probably not, but we all have those moments, don't we? It took a big person to say he was wrong, and the fact that he gave one, made all the difference.
Personally, I'm just thankful my kid's friend was over, so I didn't get sucked into dishing it right back at him. I DO write the religion column after all. lol
It reminded me of when I was doing my Bible study which is centered on the Sermon on the Mount at the moment. How we respond to people - even people who aren't treating us very kindly - says more about us than them. When we allow other people's behavior to push us into acting in kind, we give them control.
Instead, when we are gracious, even in the face of the uglies, we aren't being doormats. We are being true to our new identities in Christ.
So the next time someone is nasty to you, take a deep breath and decide how you will respond, based not on the other person's actions but who you are.
Oh and if you are the one being ugly - apologize. It really makes a world of difference!
~ Blessings, Bronte
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