Love? Love.

Is there anything to be gained by confrontation and the airing of feelings and issues with people that we are in conflict with?

Wellll....I guess that all depends on the issue, and the person with whom you are talking. I have always been a huge advocate of the importance of honesty and communication, it's the reason my marriage rocks. When it comes to friendships and family, it's just not always that simple. The older I get, the more fascinated I become by human nature, emotion, ego, motives, depth, or lack of...I will say it once again, people are a trip! I find it interesting when you learn the "why" of it all. What makes people do the crazy things they do, or say. I am very analytical, and can sometimes over-think things to death, while at the same times, I also see things that others may not. It's kind of a catch 22 in my personality to be able to have the spirit of discernment, while also not caring to discern because of my need to understand and comprehend the why of things. Anyhow, I know that we are commanded as Christians to love everyone. Can this really be possible, I keep asking myself? Because if we are really honest with ourselves, there are those people that have wronged us one way or another that really hurt our spirit. It's hard to say, I "love" this person that hurt my child, or my husband, or me. Still, we are commanded to do this, and knowing that, brings forth our accountability to God. So I suppose I try to rationalize people's behaviors, in order to try to love them in some way. For instance, person X is unkind or rude to me, and seems generally unhappy all the way around. I could just say, oh well, this person is a moron... orrrrr....I can rationalize that person X is having a rough time and isn't really snubbing me, rather going through something of which I am unaware. If there is something I have done to create a negative reaction out of person X, then I also will examine my own behavior and adjust accordingly.
Now alot of people would say, who cares, right? Sarah, seriously, who cares!? Well, the thing is, God cares. And to be commanded to love one another is NOT easy. It just isn't. Now I, of course, love my inner circle of family and friends and even acquaintances 'til the cows come home, but to branch outside that, to really say I "love" someone I'm not too crazy about; well, it's tough. So how do I go around this?
I prayed about this last night. And with just that instant peace that comes with knowing you turned your issue over to God, I slept well. I awoke to this thought today: To truly forgive and walk in love is to let it go, and not talk about it again. So that is what I am going to do. There is no need to rehash pains, or to "communicate" in any way. Loving someone can be as simple as just wishing them well, and harboring no bad feelings for them. Does that mean they need to be up in your face, or having dinner at your home? Nope. Just simple feelings of kindness. That is sometimes the only way people will allow us to love them. Sometimes communication can be a tool of the devil, or a God given comfort spoken through our lips. But, I am learning that communication is not always the answer. If I allow faith to play it's part, it shouldn't really matter. God is so large, He sees through us, and knows our thoughts before they become our own. Through prayer and scripture all things ARE possible. I am working on "loving" those people that I need to examine in my heart. If for no other reason, than because it's pleasing to God. I may just need to love them from afar. ;)

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery", "Do not murder", "Do not steal", "Do not covet", and whatever other commandment there might be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself". Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Romans 13:8-10