Troubling Relationships

This subject has been really heavy on my heart these past few days. Though I have been wanting to post more about our trip my mind can not even think about it. Since arriving home I have had a few situations arise that have caused some conflicting emotions in me and in knowing what is right and best in dealing with these particular people.

I am very heavy hearted at how we take for granite the things we have been given. Not just in the physical sense but in the spiritual and emotional. God has given us our emotions for a reason and yet I hate when people allow that to be an excuse to behave a certain way or as a crutch. I can not even begin to explain how heartbroken I am at how some people have thrown their marriages away all because they do not want to take the time really work at it. It is much easier to take the easy way out instead of working at. Don't get me wrong, there are definite times where I believe that is best to walk (or even run) away. But when it is simply because you don't like your spouses' attitude or way of dealing with things, than why did you get married? Marriage takes work and work is hard. No one ever said that marriage was easy. And the hardest part for me is when I am confided in and the situation just continues to get worse and worse, stickier and stickier. What happened to "for better, for worse...'til death do us part"?

And there are those who would rather focus their whole life around being judgemental of others and won't even look at their own lives and what could be worked on in their own hearts. They would rather spend their lives trying to take out that teeny little speck in their brothers eye rather than focus on the huge log that is sticking right out of their own. And when it comes to conversation they would rather focus on everyone else and other people's problems rather than to talk about meaningful things that could be worthwhile. I hate idle chatter. I hate gossip. I want so much to spend time in the company of those who can focus on the things in life that encourage and lift one another up rather than pull each other down. And when there are things that need to be brought up in one another, what happened to doing in a loving, Godly manner?

Please forgive my ramblings and the venting of my frustrations. I have been burdened by some very troubled relationships lately and I have no idea how to handle them. I have two relationships that are very troubled in very different ways. Yet, both people would have the same reaction if I were to share my feelings with them. Both would become defensive, would lash out, and then shut me out. I do not want that to happen yet I also do not want to be in the middle any longer. I have been praying for quite awhile about how to handle these people, these relationships without being hurt, without hurting the feelings of ones that I love, and how to do it as gracefully and mercifully as possible. Right now I feel just to wait. God has a perfect timing and any time I have tried to confront outside of His time it has turned out terrible. I don't want that. I don't want to lose these relationships but I want them to be healthy. I'm not sure that any of this makes sense or if I've offended anyone but I needed to have an outlet that I felt safe to share some of the things that have weighed my heart down. For those who have taken the time to read this thanks. I appreciate this circle of friends where I feel safe to share this piece of my heart.

Well, enough of this for now. My babies are hungry and tired, and so am I. Have a beautiful day everyone. TTFN