Lessons Learned

Daily Gratitude Year 7-Day 180: Today, I am grateful for lessons learned.

Some days, I am grateful for bits of wisdom that pop up. 

"When you finally learn that a person's behavior has more to do with their own internal struggle than it ever did with you... you learn GRACE. "

This is one of those quotes worth writing down an keeping posted in a place where it will be seen often. So many struggles and hurts could be avoided if we kept this thought close. 

We rarely know the hurts another human has endured over the course of their life. We don't know the "triggers" that make them lash out with words or with deeds. We simply don't know. If we did, patience would stretch farther and grace would be more easily extended. 

Jesus, of course, knew the thoughts of those around him. This passage from Mark is an interaction between Jesus and a law keeping, good, wealthy man. 

"“Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”  Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”  At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Mark 10:20-22

The man had the desire to follow Jesus, but his love of things got in the way. Jesus knew it would. Jesus felt genuine love for the man in his struggle to choose. The rich man felt a very real sadness when he could not walk away from his stuff to literally follow Jesus. 

We don't know the man's back story. We only know the encounter happened. His internal struggle kept him from a fuller, richer life in Jesus. That is the paradox of it all. He couldn't leave his stuff to find a far richer life in Christ. 

I need the reminder to be more gentle with everyone around me. There is often more to their story than I know or understand. 

Today, I am grateful for lessons learned.