Live and Let Live part 2
When we used to play the Madden video game sometimes we would get mad at each other for questionable play calls. But my philosphy was always, "I'll run my offense and you run yours." Basically, if you're going to go for it on 4th and 15, its not my job to get mad at you for going for it... its my job to stop you from getting the first down. In other words, don't get mad at people for doing what they're going to do. Focus on what YOU'RE doing. Make sure YOUR actions and beliefs line up, but don't try to force them on anyone else. And, as I tried to say yesterday, the way we line our actions and beliefs up is by really, truly, knowing what we believe. Filling ourselves up with the truth so that it comes out. Naturally. The truth that God is love and He loves you. Its all about love. You can't live without love and you can't let others live without loving them. Because to live IS to love. And to love is to live. They aren't just connected. They are the same thing. So instead of getting mad at people for what they are, or what they aren't, or what they do, or what they don't do... just love them. Live and let live. Let people be who they are. Even if who they are isn't who you want them to be. I know that's tricky. Because sometimes we legitimately DO want the best for people. And its so hard when you have the answers, but the people with the questions won't listen. That's so hard. I know it is. I've been there many times. Watched people I love suffer. But what I've learned--and remember, a man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument--what I've learned from living through that is that you can't make people do... anything, really. You can't make people get help. You can't make people do the right thing. All you can do is love them no matter what. Love them when they don't do the right thing. Love them when they need it. Which, by the way, is all the time. People need love in the good times, the bad times, and the ugly times. Sometimes people don't want you to fix their problems. Sometimes they just want to be heard. To be validated. To feel like they matter. An ear to hear can go such a long way. A shoulder to cry on. Loving people the way THEY need to be loved. Seeing a need and meeting it. And, again, this doesn't mean seeing a problem and fixing it. It means, if someone has a problem... just be there for them. Let them know they're not alone. Some things can't be gone through alone... but some things have to be gone through alone. What am I trying to say tonight? I'm trying to say people don't need to be controlled. And it doesn't do us any good to get mad at them when they do what they're going to do. People are always going to do what they're going to do. My grandpa always says, "You can do anything you want... as long as you're willing to pay the consequences." And that doesn't necessarily mean bad consequences. Unfortunately, people don't always count the cost. They don't alway think about the consequences. But even when they don't, or won't, we can't control them. All we can do is love them.