Choosing Right not Popular

Difficult places. The last few years have brought me into many difficult situations with family and others. It is so hard for me to displease or to present a response that does not say "no" to the other family member. However, the truth means that some times you simply have to speak a different truth than the one they want to hear.
The world spends so much time with individuals seeing things only their way. Often the popular vote does not consider kindness, mercy, or grace. It is my belief that people truly do the best that they can in every situation, or they would do better. It doesn't excuse the actions they choose, but I believe if individuals could fix their own life or opinion they would.
The other day my friend Cheri shared an author who taught that sometimes truth is kinder even when unpopular to the person having to hear it. Speaking the truth in love is what we are called by the Bible to do. I have faced a question all summer that I simply didn't want to say the blunt truth of what I knew to be truth and what I knew to be the concern. My gosh it would have been easier to put off the discussion and I did for weeks. The other party even called asking (albeit in a not nice tone) to simply say it if I felt differently than what was presented. Again I asked more questions as to how this or that would be handled instead of blatantly stating "This is what I truly believe" about the situation. Its such a sad time for me to know I have wasted their time and mine while I avoided revealing the truth of the situation that was not what the other party wanted to hear. It didn't help them and it surely cost me. The result will be the same when they know my final answer....and while I have considered it for many months, the truth of it is the same as the very first day I tried to decide.
Growing into lovely means facing things head on. Not soft pedaling difficult situation, not avoiding conflict, but peacefully, lovingly stand on the Word and the direction God leads me in each situation. Growing into lovely cares more about the peaceful mind and heart that comes with a close relationship with God than the appearance of being together. More than the opinions of others. I admire that quality in others around me, why oh why when its my time to make a stand do I still quiver with concern that I will so upset the other person....or lose their friendship. If they are doing wrong, or going in a wrong direction, if I go with them I will go too! God is God and I must learn to trust Him in all things, especially those that stress me.

God is good! All the Time, Trust Him.

Sweetie

Sofia ...wisdom from God....the principle thing of all that God offers us in our confusion. Ask for it, wait for it, and God our Father promises us He will give us a full measure of Wisdom. It is a prized gift from God.

Proverbs 3:13-15
13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.