THE ART OF BEING DISLIKED

for some reason, in the past few days, i have been the object of the rantings and anger of random people...first, at a church i preached at sunday - apparently, i am part of the hauerwasianfemalewesleyanpinko plot to destroy america...then at an all norwegian community - i am not a racist but i do seem to pick up driftwood and then put it down again in a DIFFERENT spot (two feet from where i found it on the ground - gasp)....finally, at work where i became a an easy target and punching bag for an angry and rigid person....who decided to personally attack me for being uppity and unlikable because i was unable to make phone calls and concentrate when a circular saw is two inches from my ear. i am exasperated. one of the most frustrating parts of this is that i try to walk in the love and kindness of Jesus...and yet....
i can forgive these folks...it isn't hard given that it is just what broken people do - hurt others...but i am still wondering what i am to learn from being a target for angst lately.
i have decided to meditate on how it must have been for Christ to be spit on, beaten, and killed by the very ones He loved...the very ones He was dying for...and i am reminded of the cost of discipleship. it really sucks sometimes...
my desire is that i will be able to focus on the joys and deflect the rage and anger...i read somewhere that buddhist monks imagine that there is a bubble around them that is impenetrable by anger...i think that is one of the things that the blood of Christ does, i want to claim that...i'm trying...
i do not want any opportunity for me to be closer to Him wasted. so i am growing and learning to listen....and learning, hopefully, the art of being disliked...

btw www.kellyvivanco.com - someday i hope to have one of her paintings...so beautiful...