The ones you hurt the most...

So, in eighth grade I had to remember and recite some poem. The one i chose was along the lines of "The Ones You Love the Most" or "The Ones You Hurt the Most". I honestly can't remember which the title was...and i can't find it to save my life. But, the gist was that the people who you love the most are the people who you end up causing the most pain sometimes. A lot of times with me personally, i find this to be true. I just get so comfortable with the people who i know the best, that i start to just kind of say whatever it is that I'm thinking at the time, just because i feel like it's expected of them to forgive me and just to get over it. It's pretty much a terrible habit to get into. I also have one of the shortest fuses with the people that I care about the most. People who i don't know can be terrible to me and I can just kind of let it roll off, but my best friends can do something extremely minor and i just blow a gasket. It's not a good thing at all.

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." [Proverbs 15:1]


pa·tience
   /ˈpeɪʃəns/ [pey-shuhns]
–noun
1.
the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.
2.
an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay

I usually think the definition of patience as being the latter of the two definitions. But, the first definition seems to be the hardest one to follow for me.
"Patience is love for the long haul." It means slow to anger, or far from anger.

"It means that whatever you do to me you cannot make me hate you, nor can you make me seek revenge or make me hold bitterness or malice toward you. No matter what you do to me I will always seek your highest and best good.
And I will do this with joyfulness, peace and gentleness, because just like the colors of the rainbow, all connect with each other. So the fruit of the Spirit will remain connected with each aspect of the fruit."

People are taught to recognize other Christians by the fruit [of the spirit] that they produce.
"Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers." [Luke 6:44]
Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faith, Gentleness, and Self-Control
--All of these fruits will not be able to be produced by someone who is not a Christian. It is only through Jesus in us that we are able to maintain a good attitude during tough times, and show love and the above virtues toward the most annoying people. When others on the outside look at me, I don't want them to think how short of a temper I have and how hard I am to deal with...I want to show Jesus to those who feel like they can't reach Him. I don't want to be a thorn bush or a brier...I want to be like a tree planted by the rivers of living water!

"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." [Psalm 1:3]

So to tie it all together:
"But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, SLOW TO ANGER, abounding in love and faithfulness." [Psalm 86:15]

I do not want to cause any disunity between myself and my family in Christ--especially not the ones who I absolutely adore the most : )

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus." [Romans 15:5]
--of course i definitely don't have the power to have all the fruit of the spirit without Jesus, but I plan to pray daily that they grow abundantly in my everyday life and that people will be able to see it in me!