To Have a Friend...

It turns out, people annoy me.

Part of my issue is I don't have very many Christian friends nearby, which means the majority of my interraction is with people vastly different from myself. I meet individuals who believe the government is responsible for their happiness, that healthy relationships are stumbled upon with luck, that there are many roads to the spiritual being you may call "God," etc. And after awhile, being assaulted with all the WRONG gets annoying. (See my rants on Dr. Phil's advice and the punk teenager for examples of clashing with the opinions of others.)

But--the perfectionist quote I posted yesterday got me thinking--the biggest contributing factor to my irritation is that I hold people to an incredibly high standard.... I expect a lot from myself, but I expect just as much--if not more--from others. And when humans do human things, it upsets me. A lot. And I have to let it all out with a big rant.

I have people praying for me, asking God to send a good sister-in-Christ to replenish my soul and speak the truth to me, so I can keep sharing truth with others. (And, by the way, I'd love if this individual was older than me. Like married-50-years-and-thinks-she's-too-old-to-be-of-use. Because I CRAVE the wisdom of a woman in her golden years. And furthermore, the fact that I don't go to concerts or movies, that I lead a mostly sedentary lifestyle, and that I talk to my cats makes me feel I'm actually a 70-year-old trapped in this body anyway.)

BUT, could it be that I'm not ready for that mentor, yet? If I expect so much out of people, what will stop me from deeming my would-be prayer partner "not good enough," and shoving her away? Would my first or second impression be one of annoyance?

I want more friends. It's important that I find a way to mingle with people who challenge me. I want to have more than conversations about the weather or what's happening Downtown all the time. I want a good theological debate sometimes. I need to be brought down to size sometimes. And an open-book kind of honesty is essential in my relationships.

But, to have a friend, I must be a friend. And when I cross the line into being annoyed with people who don't meet my criteria, I'm basically saying I'm better than them. Which is my problem, not theirs.

Please help me use the same patience and see the same potential that You do, Father.