On sticks and stones and good intentions

Do you ever get an email or have a phone conversation that makes you blush with embarrassment - not in a "oh my, they just said that" sort of way, but an "oh my, I had no idea I was doing that " sort of way?

Well, I just had one of those conversations. It was really weird for me.

I was told that someone thought that a few of us were "meddling" or "gossiping" on something in one of my friend's lives.

Wow. It was shocking to here it from a third party.

Even more shocking was the fact that I had tried to be helpful, sincerely solicited help from others and spent time praying/fasting about the matter and had felt strongly to ask others to pray as well.

My heart had been sincere. I didn't think I had stepped over any lines. In fact, I held off on many things that I said that I was going to do.

I hadn't thrown any sticks or stones. I had good intentions.

Yet, I (actually, it was more of a collective thing than me, but still) had somehow wronged another in the effort of helping.

It goes to show that we are human after all. I'm a bit hurt by it, but I'll keep going. I'll be more careful. I'll remember that we are all coming to the same experience from different perspectives.

It will always be the case and so one must learn how to deal with these moments and move on.

It remains me of a modified version of a playground chant from years ago:

Sticks and stones can break your bones, but words ....will break your heart.

Sorry my words hurt when they didn't intend to do so.

Prayer of Saint Francis

Ok, I posted this elsewhere, but wanted to link to it. Perfect poem/song/prayer for difficult moments.

http://bloggerpickles.blogspot.com/2011/06/prayer-of-saint-francis.html

Merry Christmas

I think I may actually be nine minutes late, but I did want to make a Christmas post. Since I just arrived in Columbus and I'm way tired, this will be brief.

A few years ago one of my friends, Pammy-Girl, sent me a Christmas card. It had a poem that brought tears to my eyes. Perhaps simple speaks to me best, but here it is:

An Extra-Ordinary Night
by Max Lucado

An ordinary night with ordinary sheep
and ordinary shepherds.
And were it not for God
who loves to hook an "extra" on the front of ordinary,
the night would have gone unnoticed.
But God dances among the common
and that night he did a waltz.

Merry Christmas!