SO YOU HAVE ENEMIES IN LIFE?

The view in the rear view mirror - “Look at life through the windshield, not the rear-view mirror”

A knight returned to his castle at twilight. He was a mess. His armor was dented, his helmet askew, his face was bloody, his horse was limping and he listed to one side in the saddle. His lord met him at the gate, asking, "What has befallen you, Sir Knight?"

Straightening himself up as best he could, he replied, "Oh, Sire, I have been laboring in your service, robbing and burning and pillaging your enemies to the west."

"You have been what?" cried the startled nobleman. "But I haven't any enemies to the west!"

"Oh!" said the knight. And then, after a pause, "Well, I think you do now."

What about you? Enemies to the west? Or the north, or the south, or the east? None of us will calmly sail through our lives in perfect harmony with everyone we meet. And though most conflict can be resolved along the way, and most of our bruised re­lationships can eventually be healed, some passionate issues may threaten to drive a per­manent wedge between people. Heartfelt moral and political stances, especially, can polar­ize folks who just as passionately hold differing positions.

Former U.S. Ambassador Claire Booth Luce once observed: "I don't have a warm per­sonal enemy left. They've all died off. I miss them terribly because they helped define me."

So-called "enemies" can serve a valuable purpose. If we let them, they can teach us about ourselves. By holding a mirror before us, they can help us see what we may have missed. By disa­gree­ing with our heartfelt convictions, they can sharpen our points of view. And, if we allow it, they can unwittingly help us practice strength and compas­sion in the face of criticism.

If enemies cannot become friends, they can become teachers. If we listen, they will teach us what our friends cannot.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes