Blog for February 10th, 2025
A Works in Progress
I know for a fact that I am a work in progress. I know for a fact that God isn’t finished with me, and I have a long way to grow in my spiritual walk. As much I try, with prayers, reading scripture and meditations, writing, searching, step work, asking trusted spiritual advisors and friends, I still come up greatly lacking. I am constantly being humblized, put in my place, chastised and told how the cow ate the cabbage.
For the most part, I do not mind my sponsor, husband and others that I ask for direction to tell me the unbridled truth, that’s why I ask and consult them, it will help me to grow as a human being, a wife, mother, grandmother, sponsor, friend, worker and all-round follower of Christ. It’s the unsolicited advice and chastening that I have a hard time with. And yet, that too can serve as a catalyst for me to gain insight about myself and find some spiritual growth.
However, that does not give anyone the right to bully me or just put me down because they are having a bad day or a hard time and decide to make me the target of their negative emotions. Some of us may seem like easy targets because we have shown some restraint and try to help others when we can. There are those who would take advantage of unsuspecting and kind souls. That’s what makes it hard to try to always be open and available to others in pain and need.
So, even if there are people who would like to tell you how the cow ate the cabbage and everything that’s wrong with you, don’t bite into it so quickly and easily. It will take a lot of prayer and discernment to know how to handle them. I always start with “how important are they to me?” Meaning, how important is that relationship to me? If it’s someone that is high on my list of whom I love and care for most, I will take heed and do my best- through prayer, writing and searching to heal and resolve whatever their complaints are. Because they matter to me, even if they didn’t come at me in a loving, caring way, I know that we all have our moments, and I can forgive those I love a lot.
On the other hand, if it’s a new sponsee, a new acquaintance or an old one that I am not really invested in, or we don’t really spend much time together, then I will probably just let it go, let them go. I’ll move on after I’ve dealt with my own feelings about the problem or situation, they laid on me. And quite possibly, see some truth to their criticism and seek to change my attitude or behavior.
It wouldn’t be the first time I had to be made to realize that I was offending or hurting others and didn’t even know it. I was surprised to find out that people have such high expectations of me and were watching me so closely. I was blown back by some of the comments Vicky said to me. I only put her name because it was over thirty years ago, and she is long gone. She was stalking a friend of ours, a guy she had a crush on, but meanwhile, she was taking my inventory, about how I needed to be attentive or something to more people. What? Lol. OK, as weird as that was, I still heeded her words.
So, there ya go, thirty years ago and last week, people are still telling me how I should act and what’s wrong with me when I didn’t even ask. OK, that’s their opinion. Noted. I’m trying really hard not to say, “take the plank out of your own eye”. I am still a works in progress and there will never be a graduation day or reaching the tippy top of Maslow’s hierarchy of self-awareness. I’ll just keep coming back, doing the best I can, trying to work an honest program and follow Jesus. And don’t use no matter what!
Question of the Week: How are you doing as a “works in progress”?
