Psalm 35.

I don't know about you, but sometimes you just feel like one thing after another goes wrong.
I know what a way to open up a new post, but sometimes it feels like something or someone is just wanting to harm you, or tell you things that only they feel like they should tell you.
I had this happen yesterday, it was gutting, I felt like saying, why don't the public come into the kitchen and make their own lunch.
What made it worse, was that this person told me to give up my job, and walk out, and only timed it so no one was around so it was just me and her in the kitchen. and I had to just keep going and go through the day, with this overwhelming sense of dread and pretend I was fine, and battle on, what made I worse was that the old ''sorry I didn't mean to offend you'' thing was said, but it was too late, this person made up her mind to just jump to conclusions, ring someone on the phone find out what the truth was, but it was too late.
Now you might be thinking, man that's tough, and yes it was because this person has not only done it once but done it 2x and both times no one was around to back me up. That's not the point, the point isn't the hurt, or the offence, it's how do I go to God with this?
How do I go to God, and forgive, I go running to God and I say to him, "Lord, this is too hard, to carry alone, I give you the hurt, and I hand it over into your scared hands, and let your peace and love come into the situation, please God, please help me to bless this person, please make this person know that I like them,  I know you love  this person, give me the words to bless them.'' Amen.
When we hand over the hurt to God it's not our responsibility, it's not on our shoulders, we are over comers, not overwhelmers.
King David felt the same, and in Psalm 35 ( yes it is here my Douglass St flatmates.), we read that, vengeance is Gods and no matter how we would like to repay people with anger, with isolation, with what ever we  our human emotion we like to repay them for , we shouldn't because that is only giving the enemy an even bigger foot hold, to climb into our mind of doubt.
Now saying that, we have a voice, and our voice can be heard, when all is calm, I'm not letting yesterdays situation rule over me,  but if we are silent on the matter, then we are sinning. Paul instructed Timothy not to let  older people look down on the younger people, because you are young but set an example.
What is the example that we should be living??
 Well being tactful, not with in intent of being harmful, think before you say things, and if you think things will hurt the other person, seek older advice, not just go wild and then regret later.
Paul also instructed Timothy to make every opportunity count, fill your minds with good things, and your soul will be good, you will find things more pleasurable and enjoyable.
Everything you do, do it for God, for he sees you when you raise in the morning and when you go to sleep, he sees things done in secret, and things done in public, he was right with me yesterday, and he rewarded me, with clean plates coming back and good comments while I was in charge with the café.
Hospitality is always about giving the people a good time, with the atmosphere the food and the warmth of the fires, you have to be a giving person when you're a chef, and you have to be open to be corrected if you make mistakes.
And we shouldn't worry if people are saying things about us, because even though they are working with  them , we can be kind to  the cruel people, chances are that I will move on, later and won't see them again.
If you are really hated in your job or get joked about or harassed, take courage  because even in verse 21, if they say to you, ''Aha, aha, with our own eyes we have seen it.'' don't be afraid for the Lord is not silent, even if you think he is.  You know that the Lord is your rock, a firm foundation it will never be shaken or replaced or removed.
A rock is also a thing to shelter in times of trouble.
You know you have a choice, and you don't need to be afraid of what harm will come to you, because you have the holy spirit in you, and while yes it hurts, what your ''enemies'' are doing, is they are harming God and his holy spirit.
So don't be afraid, give it one more go, love the people you love, enjoy the things you enjoy, enjoy being yourself, just enjoy the people who bless you.
I have my brother down from the north island, and what he does is, he has $100 and he blesses people with taking them out for coffee, and he makes new friends, and gets to know people in such a way, that he makes life long friends. Being generous with what you have, it might be that your a caregiver, or have a talent for baking or cooking for people, use it, don't just wait for the ''right time'' or save it for a rainy day.
The saddest thing I find in this world are 2 things, wasted talent, and self -centedness , we are too quickly to jump to conclusions, to tell people what we think of them and try to make it up to them, and the hurt has been done.
Don't go around like this, it only imprissions one person and that is you, and sadly our world has forgotten how to be kind to people, if we are being kind to people, they instantly think, ''What does this person want of me?" and they have forgotten how to take things as a gift.
Pray  for what you have been given, if it's writing, or art or anything else, pray to use it to build up others, and if people don't like you, then it's not your fault, they can't be angry at you, only bitter and angry at themselves, and it if seems like one person has it ''in'' for you, you know that God isn't like that person, he is kind loving and compassionate, and yes in the end, David did get help from the Lord in all he did prospered.

Take care my friends.
Chloe