Mean People

It was funny to me that the only "mean face" I could find to represent this blog was on the face of one of the sweetest people I know.

So, here is my little rant about mean spiritedness. In recent history (my recent history), several things have happened that opened my eyes to a little meanness going on around me. I don't now, and never will perhaps, understand where meanness comes from. Don't get me wrong, I can be mean...just ask my husband. What I'm talking about is that underlying spirit of cruelty. I'm talking about people that deliberately set out to hurt others, who seem to get some sort of joy and satisfaction out of causing someone else pain. Are you getting this? Do you know anybody like this? You know...jerks?

If you've kept up with my blog at all, or know me very well...I hope that I've come across as an optimist and someone who sees the best in everybody and in every situation, so this may all seem a bit shocking to you. As a Christian, I try to analyze what my response should be in certain situations. I mean, you have the standby reactions that come with loving your neighbor and treating others the way you want to be treated etc... But what is a girl to do when faced with a blatantly mean person?? My dad used to tell me, "honey, there are going to be people that are just not going to like you. They won't have a reason in the world to hate you, but they will anyway." And here I sit, a 36 year old woman, still trying to figure that one out. But WHY? Why don't they like me? Why are they mean? What makes a person mean and what do I do when it hits me in the face?"

Jesus got angry and told some people off once, remember? But...I'm supposed to love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me. (Matt 5:44). How does a person go about doing this? My first thoughts were that it is tremendously helpful to know that God is on your side. Me plus God is a majority, right? That is number one. My human instincts tell me to plow right over the mean people, chew em up and spit em out. Prayer is how I can deal with this. I can take my petition before God and say, "MAN I'm mad! I don't rightly what to do with all this, it is so over my head and I'm so angry about it, I don't know what to do. Help me to rise above it and be the person you intend for me to be, and God (here is the hard part) bless so-and-so and help them to be kinder, soften their hearts, ease their pain, and help me to know the right things to say to them."

Whew...that was tough. I guess so far in my life, dealing with meanness has been the hardest for me to understand. What in the world happens to a person to make them knock and old lady down and steal her purse? Who steals a dog from somebody's yard (something that actually happened to me once)...What kind of a person sets out to hurt somebody's feelings just for the fun of it? WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON??? I've been so smothered with love and affection my whole life, that all of it is just completely inconceivable. I guess I prefer to live in my little "fairy land" where nothing bad ever happens. My duty is to be kind, yes, even to the mean people. This heaviness of heart will pass soon, I'm sure, and God will deal with those who need dealing with. I'm glad I'm not the judge and jury.

Oh, and don't worry...it's not you that's on my "list".