bonnieandtilly

It’s not enough to act with good intentions.  We must also act with the intelligence and good judgement God gave us and that we have spent our lifetimes honing.  Good intentions alone can be the cobblestones from which the road to Hell is built, but good intentions formed through self-doubt and second-guessing guided by wisdom aquired from experience are all we will ever be expected to live up to.  We each see the world through the lenses crafted by our experiences.  We cannot be expected to know how others see the world.  All God asks of us is that we try to be tolerant and understand those who hurt us by trying to help us.  Likewise, we should ask God to help us help others in ways that will most benefit them as opposed to helping others as we would want to be helped.

So many people are damaged by friends and family who care for and about them. But instead of asking and listening to what these people honestly need, they force solutions and act in ways that are self-centered — based on what they would want if it were their problem.  It happens all the time and we each must understand that these helpers mean well.  We must forgive them for hurting us and learn how to set boundaries in our relationships that protect us from the unintended consequences of others’ actions.

Unintended consequences that should have been forseeable are the ingredients for the recipe for damnation, but those that we can’t forsee are a part of that great design — out of our hands — off our shoulders — and for which we will not be held responsible.  If God forgives us for hurting others unintentionally, we should forgive ourselves.

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