There is a poem by Robert Burns entitled "To a Louse" that reminds me of something enduring about the human condition. When admiring an elegantly dressed and confident young woman at church, Burns observes a louse crawling into her beautifully coiffured hairdo. He writes: "O, the gift the Gifties give us, to see ourselves as others see us." Frequently we humans get so focused on the offending actions of others and what we judge to be their irritating traits that we become blind to our own unkindness and insensitivity.
Ironically enough, we seem to act out most often, and be least aware of it, when: (1) the other person appears to have less power than we do, for whatever reason (children, students, minorities, employees we outrank, service providers, etc.); (2) when the other person doesn't confront us with our action, but forgives us (or doesn't) silently in the privacy of their hearts; and/or (3) when nobody's watching.
I find it much easier to give others a break when reflecting on the mercy that other people have shown, and continue to show, me -- whether or not I "deserve" it. These reflections remind me that life is a gift and fill me with a sense of grace and gratitude.
What about you? Where do your reflections take you? Where do you live in your everyday thoughts?
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2 comments:
Since reading about Divine Mercy Sunday on EWTN's lenten calendar, I have been asking God to flood me with his mercy so I can be merciful to myself and to others, especially those persons who anger me. For years I have been asking God for one drop of His love so I can love Him, myself and others more. I always felt one drop of God's pure love was more than enough to fill my heart. But I need to be flooded with God's mercy because forgiveness is hard for me, and I want to be forgiving. Thanks for your insights.
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