Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Mike Bechtle from his book, People Can't Drive You Crazy If You Don't Give Them the Keys (p. 53). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Mike continues the thought, “They’re a striking flower that grows in spheres of color, usually, shades of pink or white. They can also be a beautiful shade of blue—but not naturally. “Diane wanted blue flowers. She had two alternatives for trying to make that happen: “1. She could use force. She could grab the flower around the stem and say, ‘Look, if you don’t bloom with blue flowers, you’re going to find yourself on the rough side of the compost bin.’ “2. She could use influence. If she applies a carefully measured amount of aluminum sulfate to the soil, the blooms will usually be blue. Mike goes on, “It’s true with any type of gardening. We can’t force things to grow, but we can influence their growth with water, nutrients, cultivation, an

A thought by Mike Bechtle from his book, People Can't Drive You Crazy If You Don't Give Them the Keys (p. 52). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I haven’t thought about that before. But that is probably true of me and you too. Mike says, “If they take me on as a project to ‘fix,’ I don’t respond well. But when they simply enter my life and accept me unconditionally, I become a different person because of their influence. Without my realizing it, their acceptance influences me to become like them. “That’s why it’s important to be intentional about who we hang out with. It’s comfortable to connect with people who are just like us, but we don’t change or grow. To really stretch and develop as a person, we need to intentionally choose close relationships with people who are further ahead in certain areas of life. “What happens in those relationships? They’re not giving you formal instruction or

A thought by Mike Bechtle from his book, P eople Can't Drive You Crazy If You Don't Give Them the Keys (p. 49). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) That is only part of the thought.   Mike continues, “…and it’s filled with practical suggestions for making our own relationships work. Here are some examples: “-Don’t bring up issues that have already been dealt with in the past. (Prov. 17:9)  -Don’t stretch the truth, but be honest in your conversation. (Eph. 4:25) -If someone gets upset, don’t respond with anger. (Prov. 15:1; 25:15; 29:11) -Listen carefully, and don’t interrupt until you’ve really heard the other person. (Prov. 18:13) -Look for ways to encourage the other person. (1 Thess. 5:11) -Pick your battles; avoid arguing whenever possible. (Prov. 17:14) -Put energy into seeing things from the other person’s point of view. (Phil. 2:4) -Spend a lot more time listening than talki