Play Straight

I've been realizing this week that sometimes when someone asks you a question, it's not so much that they want to know your answer; instead, they want you to ask them the same question. This makes for humorous memories. Oh, when he asked me this, I spent five minutes answering it and he didn't really want to know. He wanted to talk about that situation in his own life.

I think we should be more straight forward. Let me tell you about my day. Let us express what we want to talk about.

I normally take people at face value. When someone asks me how I am, I tend to think they want to know. And I expect people to take me at face value. Still, there are times when I don't know how to draw words from the well, and, despite my intentions, my expressions are not a clear look into my heart. With Tommy, Patrick and Ben, in the times that I don't know how to be direct, they seem to be able to look past whatever my face may say. It's good to have friends that help us be honest with ourselves.

We lack self-honesty. We are starved of it. This debility hinders our candor with our Father and with our friends. Often it's frustrating to realize that a friend is being dishonest with you. It's easier to be gracious when we recognize that, first, they are not being honest with themselves. That's the root of it. They may not intend to mislead us; they don't realize their own misconstruction.

I read in Proverbs this week that it is man's glory to overlook offenses. I don't think I share in this glory. It's difficult to look over hurts against us. When someone treats us foully we want them to know it, and we want revenge, or at best, recompense. We want justice. But righteous behavior is a forgiving spirit. Love covers a multitude of sins, and keeps no record of wrongs. Justice and Mercy must kiss. This is holiness.