Last night I was having a conversation with some of the older young ladies and young men that live here at the mission. The topic was Godly love, or Agape love. I was explaining that loving kindness is the best defense against people that we don't favor. One of the girls said that if she said good morning to someone and they never said it back, then she would stop talking to them. I told her then that would mean that person had control over who she is. I explained that if we let someone else's actions or inactions affect the way we behave, think, or feel, we have given that person control over us.
I then went on to explain that how we see people is a reflection of what is going on inside of us, not the other person. When we see someone who is unkind or rude, we should remember that 1) that person is fighting demons we don't know about; and b) how we perceive them is a reflection of what we are experiencing inside of us.
Interestingly enough, as the discussion continued, I was able to work the "Pen is a Pen or Pen is a Chew Toy" demonstration into the conversation. As per usual, the response is generally, "but in Haiti..." to which I always reply that God doesn't care where you come from, only where you are going.
The point was clarified even further when, at devotions, the missionary had the group read from 1 Chorinthians, Chapter 13, and 1 John Chapter 4 about agape love. All of the older kids gave me looks of surprise to see that they were getting the same message directly from the Bible that I had just been teaching them earlier in the evening.
I love when everything aligns in this way! It really reaffirms that I am doing exactly what I was meant to do.
"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any." Alice Walker
I then went on to explain that how we see people is a reflection of what is going on inside of us, not the other person. When we see someone who is unkind or rude, we should remember that 1) that person is fighting demons we don't know about; and b) how we perceive them is a reflection of what we are experiencing inside of us.
Interestingly enough, as the discussion continued, I was able to work the "Pen is a Pen or Pen is a Chew Toy" demonstration into the conversation. As per usual, the response is generally, "but in Haiti..." to which I always reply that God doesn't care where you come from, only where you are going.
The point was clarified even further when, at devotions, the missionary had the group read from 1 Chorinthians, Chapter 13, and 1 John Chapter 4 about agape love. All of the older kids gave me looks of surprise to see that they were getting the same message directly from the Bible that I had just been teaching them earlier in the evening.
I love when everything aligns in this way! It really reaffirms that I am doing exactly what I was meant to do.
"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any." Alice Walker
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