Love Is Not Rude...

                                                                            

1. discourteous or impolite, especially in a deliberate way: a rude reply.


2. without culture, learning, or refinement: rude, illiterate peasants.

3. rough in manners or behavior; unmannerly; uncouth.

4. rough, harsh, or ungentle: rude hands
 
You know, it is pretty much impossible to convey love to another human being while being rude. In fact, I don't know if it is possible at all.
 
Frankly, I can be rude. I hate it when I am- but it seems to come out of me....rudeness....and I totally know it is not loving.
 
Rudeness comes out of me when someone I love is telling me about something going on in their life, and I rush them.
Rudeness comes out of me when I interrupt someone else while they are talking as if something I have to say may have more importance.
Rudeness comes out of me when I am not kind or gentle with the words I chose to speak or respond to another human being.
 
The saddest part of this when I really take a good look and am completely honest is that more often than not I am the most rude to the people closest to me. Rudeness comes out of me the most when I am around the people I love the most.
 
It happens like this- "Mommy, I want to tell you something...well, it happened like this....and then... but I.... well...." and I say- "Would you hurry up?"
 
Or it happens like this- Mark is telling me about his day and all of a sudden something makes me remember something similar I had gone through and I start telling him about that as if what he was sharing wasn't as important to me.
 
Sometimes it happens like this- "Why can't you people pick up after yourselves? It's like you are a bunch of pigs living in a pig stye..."
 
UGH! I get SO frustrated with myself when any of these things happen. I should have more control over my tongue. I used to have these scriptures hanging up as reminders....
 
"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." Proverbs 12:18
 
"Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed my man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." James 3:5-10
 
I need help with this one....I cannot rely on my own power- it has to be God working through me. I ask for His help in this area of my life- and when I fall short, I ask forgiveness from Him and the one I have been rude to, as I seek to become less and less rude....