Pointing the finger

I had lunch with a Beauty today and as always it was very refreshing. I am constantly amazed at what each of you have to offer, you just have no idea. Every week I understand more and more my purpose as "The Beast" and I am realizing even more why God brought this Challenge into my life. He knew that I needed it just as much as you guys, I just needed it in a different way. Slowly God is using many of you to touch me, help me, and minister to me. I am just amazed and grateful.

So anyway I was driving home from lunch and this lady pulls out in front me. Didn't really bother me...those things usually don't. Well she almost hit me and it was a good thing I was paying attention. (and not texting!) I slow down and give her some room...because it was obvious that she was in a hurry. Before I knew it she pulled up right next to me and flipped me off. She didn't just flip me off normal either. She put her entire arm out of the window, looked at me in the face and flipped me off.

I was in shock. I had done nothing wrong (except be on the same road as her) and she was flipping me off with obvious anger. In that second I wanted to do it back, but of course I didn't because I knew that was not the way to go. I just stared at her and kept driving. For the next 30 minutes I just kept wondering "why" would she do that when she is the one that pulled out with no blinker, she is the one that almost hit me....

Instead of letting myself get angry I asked God to just speak to me and turn my thoughts in a different direction. And what I thought next was this...

SO many times when WE mess up WE point the finger at someone else. It's like we can't handle the fact that we messed up and it is easier to just blame someone else. I really feel like that woman was angry, about whatever life is throwing her way, and she had no place else to put her anger except towards me. Makes sense.

This is so crucial when it comes to our bodies, weight loss, and this entire area of the body. Instead of accepting the fact that we ate the cookie, we make ourselves feel better by telling ourselves "why" we ate the cookie. And somehow by the end of it we justify what we did by blaming something or someone else. It makes us feel better. When what we should really say is "I ate the cookie, I lack self control today." THE END and stop there. That is tough to do though because that means that we have "man up" to what we did.

But here is the deal. Once we man up to what we did and take responsibility then I think we are stronger. Once we recognize that our weakness is mexican food, that is when we can learn to avoid it or handle it better the next time. But when we allow ourselves to blame others then we really cannot grow.

Just a thought today. It's funny how getting flipped off for no reason led me to this...but it did and I am glad I got flipped off. Haha. I think we all needed to be reminded that as adults we need to take responsibility for our actions. Once we do, we can grow.