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Monday, October 21, 2013

Conflicted about Conflict

Psalm 133:1 (NIV)
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!  

I hate conflict.  I find it difficult to face uncomfortable situations and address them head on. I suspect many of you reading this feel much like I do.  It used to be so bad that my husband would compare my temperament to that of our Golden Retriever, Izzy, who would jump up on me if ever he heard a raised voice.  His tail would wag he'd and pant nervously, using every trick in the book to bring peace back to his world.

Naturally, I had to grin when I read verse one of today's scripture.  Age and wisdom have taught me how to hurdle this shortcoming.  While peace is wonderful, there are times when it is necessary to face truth and speak it with love.  Facing difficult situations is part of life. We would never want to ignore warning signs of illness or disease.  It might not be high on your list of things you want to do, but some things we have to face, if only for the peace it brings.


Once conflict is faced and we have stepped out of denial, relief washes over us. There is such a feeling of contentment and perhaps even a thought of, "Why did I wait so long?" When family disputes are discussed and when fractured friendships are mended, then truly we can know “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!”

Is there something you have been avoiding, someone who needs to hear from you a few words of love or forgiveness? Is it time you have that difficult conversation with a loved one or co-worker?  Let your words be the balm for someone's heart today.

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