my burden

If you suffer with being a doormat, or if you suffer with too much guilt, ignore this post.  If you don't, then read on.....

In any difficult circumstance, we should always ask ourselves, what is my responsibility in this situation?  What is my burden?  What did I do to contribute to this mess?

Difficulty is rarely the result of one person's actions.  Years ago, my mother went shopping at a mall where a number of crimes had been reported on the news.  She parked at the far end of a remote parking garage [she wanted the exercise] and walked into the old mall.  On the way back to her car, she had her packages and her purse stolen.  You can totally blame the person who took her stuff, but she bears some burden in this story.  Needless to say, she parked closer after that, and chose her shopping venues more carefully.

In relational problems, it is rarely one person's fault.  We love to think that we are the victims, but we almost always play a role in the craziness.  If the suggestion of this makes you angry,

then you might want to take a hard look at how you see the world.

If something isn't going the way that you want it to in your life, don't focus on how the other person is doing you wrong.  Look for the ways that you might have contributed to the mess.  It may help you with your feelings about the others involved and the situation as a whole.

Life is good, and a little self-reflection from time to time is good.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.