My friend got a new shirt the other day and I immediately had closet envy. Here it is:
Hysterical, right?
It reminds me of a t-shirt I have that says, “I can’t adult today” that I wear every time I feel overworked and under appreciated. It gives my kids an immediate heads-up in the morning that they better be putting their own cereal bowls in the dishwasher. (As an alternative, I’ve also contemplated getting a t-shirt that says “I am your mom, not your maid” but I’m too lazy to do a google search to see if it exists.)
Anywho, I had my phone in my hands ready to text my friend and ask where she found that great “peopley” shirt when I had a change of heart.
People are so hard. I totally agree. I’ve been battling with this lately, wondering if I’m the difficult one or if it’s everyone else in the world. Since I’m the common denominator in every situation, I have to face the harsh reality that it’s probably me.
My heart needs a makeover. And so does my mind.
Instead of texting my friend and asking if she wants to go live in a yurt in Wyoming and wear matching t-shirts, I started thinking about the value of people… even people who bump into my happy.
We all have different opinions and values and baggage and experiences and hangups, and yet, it’s those differences that help us expand our hearts and our minds. If the grinch had stayed in his hillside hideaway without ever interacting with those pesky Whos, his heart would never have grown three sizes that day.
The bible weighs in on this in Proverbs 14:4, “Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.”
To me that says, “Sure, life would be a lot cleaner, a lot easier, a lot less complicated without other people around, but it’s those same people who help us expand our tiny lives into big, bright, fulfilling lives that leave a lasting impact on ourselves and each other.”
Being around people, even difficult people, forces us to consider new perspectives, put a higher value on things we may have forgotten to be grateful for, and figure out which lines really do need to be drawn in the sand.
If you feel like your heart and mind need a makeover too, maybe you want to join me in this simple prayer. God, help me to see them the way you see them. I’m pretty sure God sees all people through the lens of love so that’s probably a good place to start.
