this isn't about me
I’ve never been a great multi-tasker. When I am deep in a
project, like today when my head is completely immersed in James 5:7-9, the
phone rings and it’s some salesman from a publishing company wanting my
business, I get a little irritated.
I’d prefer to just hole up, ignore the world, and finish my
single task, thank you very much.
My, my. How very selfish of me.
The funny thing is, of all the behaviors that makes me most
sick to my stomach, it’s selfishness. But of course, the nausea only comes when
I see it in others. When I’m being selfish, it’s justified. I’m right and they
are just plain wrong. Do it my way, I demand. I’m the one who’s hurting, I martyr.
(Is that a verb? Nope? Too bad. I’m making it one.) I’m the one who needs, I whine. I’m the one
struggling and try to figure things out, I lament.
I’m the one who needs you to be this, do this, handle this, right now.
I was thinking about all my selfishness tonight (after
pretty much thinking about it all day. Ahem.)
I noticed that I have this friend who is always apologizing to me. Sometimes
for the weirdest things. But they apologize frequently. Sometimes it’s because they
didn’t do something they said they would do, or there was some kind of unmet
expectation. Whatever the reason, I started thinking about why they apologized
so much. Was it because I had such unfair expectations of them that they feel
like they are always failing me? (Ouch.)
That’s really only a question they can answer. But it still
got me thinking. Yes, there are times when they need to apologize. But even so,
why am I focusing on what they are doing wrong so much? What about what I am
doing wrong?
I’m being a lousy friend.
I’m so wrapped up in myself and what I am going through,
that I just sit and wait for everyone else to check in on me. Instead of
checking in on them. And when they don’t,
I feel sorry for myself. I vow to write them off and never speak to them again.
(Okay... I might be exaggerating a little. But you get the idea.)
I’m pretty ashamed of myself right now.
Tonight while I was reading, I had NEEDTOBREATHE’s newest
record on repeat, and these lyrics from the song Wasteland hit me particularly hard.
There was a greatness
I thought for awhile
But somehow it changed
Some kind of blindness I used to protect me
From all of my stains
Yeah I wish this was vertigo
But it just feels like I'm falling slow
But somehow it changed
Some kind of blindness I used to protect me
From all of my stains
Yeah I wish this was vertigo
But it just feels like I'm falling slow
I was blind to my sin and the scales were starting to fall away from my eyes. Needless to say, the grieving began. I will spare you the
details. They aren’t pretty. (I really need to invest in some good waterproof mascara.)
Then I read this. http://stoopingformanna.com/2015/03/24/lets-get-real/#more-1298
Ok. I get it. The 2x4 has officially smacked me and the welt
on my head is pretty swollen. Pardon me while I stop thinking about myself for
a while. It will be a nice change of pace.
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