My word of the year is speaking

So it’s only January 2 and my word of the year is already speaking to me.

Yesterday I read about how we all have a nemesis or two and how we need to forgive them their flaws or we will not be forgiven ours.   Most of my friends know exactly who would be considered my nemesis.   The person I would like to wipe out of my life altogether.   Ugh.  Do I really have to play nice and forgive?  Do I have to chose to see the good things in her instead of just all the many ways she drives me nuts?   I can’t seem to find anything that she does right.  Thankfully I don’t have to work with her because I know her co-workers can’t handle her any more than I can!  Oh boy, this isn’t going well!   How on earth do you learn to see only the positive things that a person has?

This task is too big for me.  I can’t do it.   I can barely stand a conversation with her how can I learn to love her?

I can’t!   Only Jesus can help me.   It will be through His power that this miracle will happen this year.   There’s no way I have the power to do this.   This woman has driven me to the brink of insanity many times just listening to her talk.   She lies.  She is rude.   She is fake.   I can’t handle it Lord.

Then this morning’s devotion:

The first part that struck me is obviously my word of the year “power”.   Our words contain more power than we realize.

This morning I also saw on Facebook someone who read my blog back in November and her post today was about how my words have impacted her.   Wow!   Our words really do impact others.   I really want to strive to inspire others not tear them down.   Then this woman’s face entered my mind and that was God smacking me upside the head saying, “Adelle that means you need to use kind words to this woman too!”   OH.   Insert sad face!   This is going to be much harder than I thought.

Then the second part about the complaining.   That is literally all I can do when I encounter this woman.   She is a sandpaper person.   You know them.  The ones whose voice is grating to your ears.  The one whom you hide from if you see them in the grocery store.   The one who you screen their calls.   The one who makes your blood boil with every lie they tell or dumb philosophy they have.   So that will have to be the end of the complaints about her now I need to focus on finding something good in her.   I need to work hard not to say anything more negative about her.   (Today is the last day!)

I believe this year God will help me to see this woman in a new light; with new eyes.   He has the power to heal relationships; even awful ones.   Only He can help me see the reasons He created her.  Only with His power can I possibly come to appreciate this woman’s positive qualities.   This is what I must do if my words will have a positive impact on others this year.   I need to focus my eyes on seeing the good in people not their flaws.  Why is it so easy to pick out the flaws in everyone???

I thought when I chose power God would teach me about it and He definitely is.   Oh, but in such a hard way.   And immediately.   It’s January 2!   I don’t want to work on this but like the bottom of that devotion says Paul went through so much and if anyone was allowed some airtime to complain it was definitely him.   But no one wants to listen to that.   He used his platform to speak truth and love.  That’s what we are all called to do.   Speak with love.   Speak to build others up; not tear down.  Since that’s what I love to do is speak, teach and inspire others, I guess I have to start working on me first!  Taking plank out of my eye now 🙂

SDG

Here’s a quick link to the Devotional I keep talking about because it was my word of the year last year.   It has helped me to grow in faith tremendously this year.   It’s on sale on Amazon now for more than 60% off!