authentic

We have been attending a new group at our church and have met some good people. By "good" I mean people who want their lives to reflect God's call to them. We talk about how difficult it is to even know what that call is. Is it God's call or is it my self interest that calls me to act in a certain way?

One of the participants, a woman we will call Corinne, talked of a struggle she has with forgiving a relative for comments the relative continues to make which are critical and hurtful. Of course many suggestions were given to Corinne. She should stand up for herself. She should "help" the relative gain an awareness of her behavior, etc. etc. Though the group was very sincere in providing feedback, the thing that struck me about the conversation was how authentic Corinne was. She readily acknowledged she would have difficulty confronting the behavior. She laughed easily and often., She took responsibility for how long it has taken her to even acknowledge the hurt she has experienced because of the relative's comments.

In other interactions with us Corinne displays this same authenticity. She greets us warmly. She asked if another presenter had offended us with some comments. She is never defensive. She is so very easy to be with. Her behavior is warm and caring. She reflects God's call to be loving.

Am I authentic? Am I easy to be with? Do I reflect God's call? Can I do better with that today?

Blessings-Penny