You can't change people - I've learned this mostly from family interactions but it's pretty true of everyone. You can hope and pray that someone will come to see the error of their ways, that they'll change their thinking, that they'll xyz...ultimately it's their free will and God's prompting. You really, ultimately have no ability to alter or change it.
You should manage your expectations and your responses - After reading #1, I'm still amazed at how often I am saddened/shocked/disappointed in people that I already knew were going to act the way they did. I suppose there is a bit of hope remaining and that's a good thing, despair helps no one, but whatever it is, I think I need to work on tempering it with reality. I know how hard it is to change, especially things that are basically personality traits. I need to try to lead more with charity and love this year...despite the hurt or disappointment...and to remember that I disappoint and hurt often as well.
For me, Facebook is a time suck and Instagram is a near occasion of sin - Notice I've not been posting much? It's because I got back on FB. It was all well-intentioned, I assure you. I wanted to keep in touch with Slovak relatives, which I have, and that has been lovely. Knowing my tendency to waste time on nonsense things, I capped my friends at 20 and I've actually only got 18. My problem, I think, is a Catholic Mom's Group, full of mainly young mothers with high drama and a few Charismatics who seem to only want to stir up trouble. It's taken more time than I would have liked. As I also suspected, being "connected" on FB has meant not checking friends' blogs or sending email because, well, I already know everything that's happening with them, right? Not exactly.
Instagram. Well, I'll just say I already know that people only post the wonderful, shiny stuff and still it manages to pitch me in to a depression every.single.time. Ug. Sometimes my weakness is stunning even to me, and I've been with it my whole life.
Life is difficult, God is good and merciful - Do people manage without that second bit? Seriously? I seem to have a depression trough that falls right around the holiday and I'm pretty deep there at the moment. There were times earlier in my life that days like these would feel like the absolute end. No solutions, no hope. I am grateful that God was there when I decided to look out from my navel and I am grateful that He will be there again when I chose to do so now. How good is the Creator of the Universe to wait on us? The pathetic little sinners that choose wrong over right so much of the time? It's hard to wrap your head around that kind of all-consuming-always-available-never-selfish-never-resentful love. Wow. How blessed am I?
Happy Birthday, Jesus! Thanks for coming to save us! I surely do need it!
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