Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a wonderful holiday weekend. We are soon going to the lake and stopping on the way to see and pray with a friend at Birchview Gardens. Then on to the lake for a boat gathering around two docks where we can see extended family with social distancing. Later a picnic is planned and we will have to see about swimming in the afternoon as it is not predicted to be very warm. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
It is no surprise that there are difficult people in the church! Of course, we might be one of them as someone could be having trouble with us  and finds us hard to love. On Crosswalk.com Brittany Rust writes about 10 Ways to Deal with Difficult People in the Church; but her helpful ways may include others we deal with at times as well. Since we are all so unique with varied personalities and not like anyone else, we may end up rubbing someone else in the wrong way. They may struggle to know where we are coming from and can’t understand our logic and thinking. Brittany said we should expect conflict because it is inevitable. When those times come, we need to keep our cool and not lash out. It is an opportunity for us to be an example. We should also not fuel the fire and be defensive but give a gentle answer. Sometimes our pride gets in the way as we try to protect ourselves but we need to just own our part and ask forgiveness. We’ve all been in a group when someone says something critical. Rather than adding to it, we can show ignorance and may respond with, “Isn’t that nice!” or “What a surprise!” We must not forget that we are all broken in differing ways and have struggles in life, many with hurts as far back as childhood; so we need to show grace and mercy. We can choose to take the high road and respond in a positive way. If there is a lot of tension, Brittany says we may have to take a break to gather our thoughts and cool down. It’s a good thing to pray for the person as our own heart gets soften in the process. Finally, she said to practice Matt.18:15 (God’s Word) where Jesus said, “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone If the member listens to you, you have gained that one.” She goes on to say that if that doesn’t work, we should bring one or two other believers along and if the person refuses to listen then tell the church. Let us not turn away from others when conflicts arise but forgive and love, and show mercy.
Challenge for today: The next time a believer hurts you, take the high road and practice mercy.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy