My mother always told me to never make fun of anyone, or to gloat over someone's misfortune. She'd say, "the minute you do this, what goes around always comes around to YOU."
Lovey used to tell me that she thought I had the "gift of discernment" because of my ability to tell things about people, which usually turned out to be true.
This gift that I have seems to be pretty accurate...
The first time I noticed it was about 24 years ago when Lovey and I were staying in a minister's home for a series of meetings we were holding. The minister pastored a church that was very sizeable in the community.....he had a live TV show broadcasting from the sanctuary every Sunday morning. He was very well known within the denomination.
However, I got the feeling that all was not well. I told Lovey privately that something just wasn't right....and she basically told me that I was crazy. I told her that she should remember this conversation so that I could remind her about this in some future time. She laughed.
A few years later, the minister's career fell apart because he was stealing from the church....and he defrauded insurance companies. I looked at Lovey and said..."I told you."
I've felt these "vibes" as I call them, about a number of people since that time...and I have learned to listen.
Three years ago, my boss was hiring for a vacancy, and I was asked to be a part of the panel who did the interviewing. I was late to one of the meetings due to a family emergency...and when I walked into the office, the interviewee was just leaving.
The alarm bells went off.
I told my boss that I didn't get good vibes from that person.... They hired her anyway. Almost from day one, she was trouble...and caused my office a great deal of grief.
So, as I have progressed on my spiritual journey...I've learned to listen to the alarms. I don't share my feelings with anyone generally and keep them to myself. I do keep a journal so that when I get these feelings I can record them and validate them later.
It's scary at times.
It's the same when I see people with some type of misfortune. I do not gloat. I am not happy about it.
Partly because I am very sensitive to others.....and try to live by the golden rule. A lot of it though leads back to my mother's teaching of what goes around comes around. I don't want any type of misfortune to happen with me.
The gay thing has been enough of a drama.
So, I just watch and pray for others.....and I hope they pray for me.
2 comments:
It's been my experience that people who make fun of gay issues don't understand them. I am a heterosexual female. But, my bestfriend who I love, adore and think of as my family is a gay male. He has truly opened my eyes to issues that I was not aware of. He has allowed me to ask him any question withou him taking offense. It's because of the openess, honesty and lack of judgement, that i have grown as a person. Further, reading your blog and bigg's has given me further insight, understanding, and compassion to the issues that have to be faced daily by those that have same sex partners. I am not sure how to say the above sentence and have it come out with the compassion that i feel in my heart. I despise the word homosexual. It just sounds so ugly too me. Frank, I am thankful for you and the fact that you are a peace maker. The bible says, "blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall inherit the earth." I appreciate the Mercy that you show others despite the judgement that they have passed on you. You are a practicing example of faith, mercy, forgiveness, honesty and openess. I love you frank!
Wow....what a comment! You clearly "get it" when it comes to the struggles a man like me has faced with the whole gay thing. I don't fully understand hatred of people who are different. It's probably because I know what it's like to be different myself.
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