Moments of Definition

We all have defining moments in life.  Some of them are big.  Monstrous even.  And some of them are so small that they are forgotten about until a future happening reflects back on their true significance.

Some defining moments I look back on with pride and some with disappointment... disappointment in myself and in knowing that I was capable of so much better.

One of those defining moments was recently, and, in true Kelly-life fashion, was a swift kick in the pants from God.

I usually get along with pretty much everyone.  I love people, I love being social (minus the closet introvert in me), and I love spending time getting to know others.  If you had asked me a couple of weeks ago if I had any enemies I would have laughed in your face.  But a recent event made me re-think what the term enemy really means. I've always considered it as a pretty dramatic term.  I mean, outside of rom coms and frenemies, who has an actual enemy these days?  That's like, soooooooooooo 90's :)   I can't think of a single person that I hate or wish truly bad things about.  That's just not the way that I roll.  But when I really stopped to think about it, an enemy isn't someone who you spend all day and night scheming against, or planning the ultimate demise of.  I think an enemy is someone who you genuinely do not hope the best for.  Which actually cuts me to the core.

If I'm honest with myself - truly, brutally honest - how many people out there do I genuinely not hope the best for?  Who in my life do I look at and just think "ugh"?  Well, there aren't too many, but there are a few.  And in my book, a few is way too many.

God calls us to love everyone, right?  I was pretty much born at church, and haven't left it much since, so you'd think I'd have this one down.  Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight...  See, love is a pretty general term... and thus, I realized I'd conveniently changed it in my mental vocab to meaning "tolerate" for those that I have a hard time dealing with.  And tolerate certainly doesn't sound like I'm hoping the best for them, now does it?  Yeah, prolly not.  Oofta!  Now if that isn't a big pill to swallow I don't know what is.

Oh Corinthians 13, you get me every darn time...

So my epiphany left me with a choice.  This could be a defining moment.  If I let it.  And so, I refuse to have enemies.  I do not have the luxury of having those in my life that I do not hope the best for.  But I cannot do this alone, I need God's help.

This time the defining moment was one that I hope to look back on with a big smile on my face.  Loving won't mean tolerate, and enemies will be no more.  I will hope the best for each person that I encounter in my life.  And for those that it doesn't come so easy with... well, that's where prayer comes in :)

I'll be marketing my new product "Enemy-B-Gone" soon, so keep your eyes open for it! ;)