I am one who loves to delight. I enjoy making people happy or helping improve their quality of life. I remember one of my first doses of reality being that I rarely felt like I could please my parents- unless I pushed myself to go above and beyond. Fortunately, I was good at music which helped. Anyway, I remember trying to befriend some elderly people who you could just never delight. They were so hard to please! Didn't matter when I went to visit- it was always a bad time, I always said the wrong things, the little gifts I took to them were never enough- always the wrong flavor soup, jelly or cake. After a while, I just stopped going over to see them- then they were mad at me for that, but I can only try so hard before realizing I'm not appreciated and moving on.
I enjoy teaching at the YMCA, however, there are several people taking my classes who are extremely hard to please. They come to me or go to my supervisor after class with complaints like, "The music was too loud", "The workout wasn't intense enough", "the workout was too intense", "the room was too hot or cold", etc. Feedback is important to let me know how I'm doing, but a whole wave of it can be overwhelming. I let it roll off, because there are always a few busy-bodies whom you will never please in the fitness profession. However, one must wonder why it has to be this way? Why can't they cut me a break?? I'm brand new at this YMCA and still getting settled into the swing of things. I've only taught Pilates 3 times now. What if, instead of complaining, they said, "Hey, you gave it a really good effort today"?? I took over for another very popular instructor and until the class gets used to my style, this will keep happening. I do know my stuff as I am double certified in it.
No matter where you work or worship you will encounter people who are just plain hard to please. Some people are married to spouses who are never satisfied with anything. Why is it this way? I believed for over half my life that God was also hard to please- that He was never delighted in me. In fact, when I pictured Him in my mind, He was usually frowning down on me. I have learned this is simply not true! God adores us, He delights in our praise. He loves to hear our prayers and likes to give good gifts to His children.
Perhaps part of having a better life is learning to delight in simple things and finding something in everyone to appreciate? I will continue to make more effort to let people know when they have blessed me.
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8 comments:
How true, How true. You have a ton of opportunities to be spiritual every day in your job just like I do. When I hear a complaint, my first instinct (fleshly) is to snap back at the person and tell them to go jump in a lake. That's when I lean on the Spirit and I give them a response such as "Thanks for bringing this to my attention, I will try to help and am regrettably sorry". It's tough to do but we must if we are going to love one another. My wife is an elementary school principal and she is in the same boat as us too. You should hear the stories she brings home.....
I had a good friend that was wrestling with a spirit of animosity towards another man that was a non-christian. He was so frustrated with this guy because he had tried to befriend him to no avail. He was ready to call it quits and probably come to blows with the guy when he asked for my advice. God gave me the words to tell him this: "Even though you can't stand him, God loves that guy just as much as he loves you". It's so hard to see that sometimes, especially when we are bombarded by whinners and complainers. But God does love them and he wants us to be spiritual when we deal with him. We have the perfect model for spirituality to follow in Jesus.
Great post, you have wisdom beyond your years! You really made me think, Thanks.
Yea...i think there is someting in some of us..that strives to please others so much. It is perhaps natural..or perhaps a longing for some level of acceptance, and worthiness before others....
I do it sometimes, and my wife does it...and it stresses us out..when we try so daymn hard. I learnt one thing, when you see yourself trying too hard to please, thats when you know its going to come back right away to hurt you.
Besides the most important thing is to know what is the right thing to do. Once we arrieve confidently at what is the right thing to do, and we actually execute it it gives comfort, but may not necessarily please anyone :-)
hmmn..so i guess I have just said that perhaps pleasure and comfort are really not the same things!
I gotta ponder on that one for a while.
keep smiling
The more I learn to appreciate the "simple" things in life, the better my life becomes. But negative comments are difficult to take most times.
i am a very scary judge of talent .. i don't compliment people all the time .. i only compliment when I think the person deserves one .. for example many people just compliment even when the they there is no need to. They just do it to be nice .. unfortunately i am not like that .. and it brings me trouble all the time :(
yaa pleasing someone .. hmm there are levels u know .. i think pleasing someone who is hard to please is the real pleasing .. i mean anyone can please an easy to please someone .. not many can please your parents as you say .. hence pleasing your parens would earn a compliment from me :)
I have always believed that it is not possible to please everyone. And to be happy with something like that, one needs to be happy with who they are and confident of what they have done.
You are the apple of God's eye. That's more important than anything else! It's true, we can't please everybody all of the time, but it's very simple to please God. Just love Him.
Thanks for sharing and showing us all that God is always pleased when we turn to Him.
I think you are a wonderful person so go out there and help those people do the stair step!
Great comments, everone! I have reached the conclusion that you cannot please everyone all the time. It's very important to live our lives first of all to an Audience of One. For me that is God. Everyone has opinions and preferences. We can drive ourselves crazy trying to make everyone happy.
Good thoughts, Sharon. What if the best way to please God is not in loving Him, but in accepting & receiving His love for us?
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