Teaching and Learning

I was thinking of mothers today - can't think why. . . Any the who, I thought about the mothers, the women, whose selfless selves have been immortalized in films and on the page. Women like Melanie Hamilton in "Gone With the Wind." Melanie was so kind, generous, patient, and a million other things. She was a good Christian, she was a woman, although fictional, that showed impeccable, untainted character.

I was thinking of my faults this morning, about how I am not like Melanie Hamilton. (Although, as much as I love Scarlett, I'm always angry at her for throwing Melanie's love away with both hands.) Here's the thing, I can't think of a flesh and blood woman who is like Melanie, or Jane Bennett, or Beth March. They were all fictional, after all. Still, there do seem to be women out there that are always the picture of grace and goodness, but I am certain behind closed doors they all get real. How can one be perfect in an imperfect world? The answer is we cannot. Someone extra challenging will always come along, a situation will undoubtedly unravel before us, that will make us behave human, in the worst possible way.

I try really hard to love all the people in my life, I try to love them faults and all. I have to, God loves me every day in spite of mine. It's hard. I want to teach people, and I'm only 25, so I don't know all that much. I guess I am striking a balance between learning from those who know more than me and setting an example for those who know less. That's a challenge, but if I truly work to achieve that balance it all sort of works out. If I choose to teach and lead by example, then my example of learning from, respecting, and honoring those with more wisdom than myself should naturally have the desired effect on the other party. Correct? Quite philosophical for 7:30 on a Sunday evening don't you think?

Conversely, what do we do when someone cannot, or refuses to be, taught? They are either so set in their ways, or so over-defensive due to low self esteem, that they cannot accept doing it any other way, let alone another person's instruction. They must already be right and perfect, otherwise, in their mind, they are worthless. I don't know how to help a person like that, and unfortunately, that sends me into a downward spiral of human-ish frustration.

I don't remember where I was at or what I was doing or what the woman looked like, but she simply said to me: "I learned a long time ago that you can't please everyone. So, I don't worry about pleasing anyone. I just please God."

I suppose that's the trick. If you're doing that, everything else should naturally fall into place. Why is it so hard to remember that throughout the day?