Today's daily lesson comes from Psalm 69 verse 9b:
"The reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me."
A thing in life we all need to know is that sometimes people get mad at us because for whatever reason they can't get mad at the person or circumstance they're really mad at.
Therapists call this transference and it's a very real phenomenon in counseling; but it's also real just about everywhere else too.
Somebody is mad at their mother or their father or their work or lack of work or their husband or ex husband or at God. But either what they're mad at isn't reachable or they really can't afford to get mad at it, so instead they get mad at the church . . . or the teacher . . . or the doctor . . . or . . well, you get the point.
Recognizing the reality of transference can help us better understand when others respond with disproportionate anger and helps us not to take their anger so personally. It also helps us to respond with greater compassion and grace while at the same time taking the necessary steps to protect ourselves from being somebody's emotional punching bag.
Some wise person somewhere once said, "Be kind, because everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." Somebody today will be fighting a battle in a war that has nothing to do with us. It's important that we be able to recognize when we're in a combat zone so we can act more compassionately toward the wounded warriors while at the same time protecting ourselves from being civilian casualties.
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