Take a Deep Breath!

Sometimes people do things that hurt us.  Sometimes they do it intentionally and sometimes they don't even know they have done it.  I am sure that I have done things to hurt people and I didn't realize it.  I also know that I have hurt people intentionally, sometimes because I have been hurt and am lashing out and other times it is just the flesh in me coming out and I don't keep things in check. 

It is hard to forget the times that someone has hurt you.  Even though you might forgive them, when something comes up and that button is pushed, it is like going through the pain of being hurt all over again.  Ever experience this?  I don't think that I am the only one who has.  It is no fun to go through the pain of "old stuff". 

I am trying to be more conscious of how I treat people, even when I am having a hard time.  I am going to double check the words of my email and think how it might come across to someone that I have hurt in the past...could it possibly trigger one of their buttons?  Could it cause unnecessary pain for them to relive?  I can't be responsible for how someone deals with their "stuff", but I can be sensitive and loving. 

I encourage you and challenge you all to think twice before you say something, before you type and send off that email in frustration.  Take a deep breath and pray that God will bring you to the point where no matter what this person might have done or said, you can still treat them with love and kindness.