SOMETIMES THINGS JUST DON'T PAN OUT LIKE THEY SHOULD...

I haven't posted in a while, been busy with other stuff, and not so fun other stuff at that. This is a hard post for me to write. I've put it off forever but now I finally have to say something.

You know how the old adage goes that says, "No good deed goes unpunished"? Or the one that says. "Never lend money to a friend"? Well, I've received a good dose of that this year. I wouldn't normally talk about this type of thing on a blog, but I guess my bucket is full to overflowing. It's time for righteous indignation! I feel a need to say something, because I think this situation happens way more often than it should and I am sick and tired of people acting badly and getting away with it, because no one will stand up to the person and tell them, "Hey, that is NOT how you treat friends/people!"

Since when is it OK to lie to or mistreat your spouse, your friends, your family, and even your constituents if you're a politician? How come we as a people, we as family, we as friends, and even we as voters, can turn a blind eye to things that are just flat, plain wrong? Do we not have any sense of personal responsibility anymore? When did our word being our bond cease to be? Has it now become "do anything we can get away with?" Do not actions have repercussions/consequences? Can we lie with impunity?

What happened to treating people with compassion and understanding? Extending help even when we are not asked? Hoping others will "pass it on?" Is the good deed dead or does it only work in movies? Has Ty Pennington used up all the good will in America and the common person thinks watching it on TV is as good as doing it? Do people now have the option of making promises they have no intention of keeping and freely cop an attitude about it? Is that the new "cool?" Can we take other people's money that they were generous enough to lend and just pitch responsibility out the window and say, "Screw you, you can't touch me, I'm not paying you back a dime?" What EXACTLY has this nation come to? I hear a lot of people calling themselves Christians, but acting in a VERY un-Christ-like manner. Jesus is shaking his head and the founding fathers of this nation are spinning in their graves.

As a Christian myself, it sickens me. It SADDENS me. It makes me lose hope. Hope in America and it's people. A nation that was founded on Christ-like principles and now it's people are acting like a group of miscreants, thugs, liars, cheaters, etc. Do we blame this on a new generation? If so, it is people my age that have failed our children. We've not taught personal responsibility and accountability to them. Why should they feel responsible if we don't show responsibility to them? The golden rule has tarnished. A nation that was founded on the Bible now doesn't let you post the Ten Commandments in a public place.

All of this and more has hit home to me this week. I was generous with a friend and this person repaid my kindness and generosity with a lie and an attitude. They've told the lie so many times that they now think it's the truth. (Almost sounds like Congress.) I'm to a point that I can't believe anything that they say. It's a sad day when you have to document every little word someone says just in case they chose to lie about it in the future. What a sad and pathetic way to live your life. I feel truly sorry for a person like that. I would much rather have joy, truth, friendship, generosity, kindness, understanding, compassion, gentleness, love and hope in my life.

So my word for this year is BETTER. I want to be better at being a Wife, Aunt, Sister, Daughter, listening ear, encourager, sustainer, prayer warrior, Christian, artist and friend. I'd also like to be better at posting. :-) While I'm at it, I'd like to be better at picking better friends. Thankfully, I am already blessed with many wonderful, compassionate, gifted friends. I just need to get rid of some chaff and pass on a little lesson regarding actions have consequences, whether those consequences are experienced in the short term or the long term. Ultimately, we all know God is the final adjudicator and He sees all. I can live with that.

Keep the faith (I'm certainly trying),
Vicki