hearing the truth in love

[treatster]

It's good to have people in your life who will tell you the hard, but truthful things about you that either need confronting or changing. For me I value honesty so much as I am (those who know me well will agree with me on this) quite the brutally honest person. But still, it is SO hard to take when someone says "You know, when you do such-and-such it really comes off in this or that way that really hinders from either making God look great or just in building relationships or is just a part of your character that you need to work on." It's hard to hear...I think I need to remember that more when I'm speaking words of hard-to-hear truth. It's VERY hard to hear that you suck at this or what you thought you were doing is coming off as a totally different thing. For instance, I am someone who tells A LOT of stories. I think I do this for a few reasons; a) I like letting people see who I am and what I am about and telling stories about what I've done, seen, gone through, places I've been to helps people see a little more of who I am, b) I often will hear something and will relate it to something that I've heard about or have gone through and immediately want to share it in order to be able to relate to this person. However I've been told that quite often I interrupt people to share my stories. I had no idea. I had no idea I was so wrapped up with myself that I didn't even realize I was interuppting people in order to share MY stories about ME. That was hard to hear and when you do hear something about yourself that is a bit ego-shattering it's almost a bit like a physical blow as something inside you just kind of whithers up. But this time I didn't skulk away in the corner, nursing my wounded ego...I don't want to be that person who has no time to listen but only time to talk about me, me, me. With that image in my mind I can bring myself to the foot of the cross and ask for forgiveness for not exemplifying Christ in my dialogue with others. I can consciously keep my mouth shut and listen to others and to THEIR stories.
I think part of the reason lately I've felt like telling all about me is because I haven't had that many friends out in Kitchener and so I just want to get close to someone as soon as I can so I can have that close friendship. *sigh* Unfortunately it's not as easy as that. Most friendships usually take some time and I just need to slow it down, lift the relationship before God and aim to let Him work through me to develop a Godly, close friendship whether it takes a few months or a few years.

We'll give you all the glory, we'll give you all the glory, we'll give you all the glory
Christ, the Lord.